Cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine social, demographic and health factors associated with cognitive decline over a seven-year period among older Mexican Americans with diabetes.


METHODS
A population-based sample of 808 noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans aged >65 years with diabetes who had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) >17 at baseline from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE). Measurements included sociodemographics, diabetic treatment received (oral hypoglycemic or insulin), self-reported medical conditions, self-reported diabetes-related complications, high depressive symptoms and ADL limitations.


RESULTS
The mean MMSE score at baseline was 25.3 + (SD=3.7). The rate of decline in cognitive function (MMSE) during the follow-up period was 0.37 point per year. Using general linear mixed models, we found that being male, and having high depressive symptoms and diabetic complications (kidney impairment, circulation problems or limb amputation) were factors significantly associated with greater declines in MMSE score over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulation problems, kidney impairment and depression are the major factors associated with cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans with diabetes.
Rotkiewicz-Piorun
Anna M
AM
Sealy Center on Aging, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA.
Al Snih
Soham
S
Raji
Mukaila A
MA
Kuo
Yong-Fang
YF
Markides
Kyriakos S
KS
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans