title: Risk factors of cognitive decline in residential care in Hungary.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of dementia is known to vary between nations due to population specific interactions of genetic and epigenetic risk factors. Since this type of data was missing from the Central-Eastern part of Europe, especially from Hungary, an ongoing prospective multicentre study was initiated 3 years ago to determine the impact of some well-known social and biological dementia risk factors and the prevalences and conversion rates of dementia and depression syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of this work, the effects of age, gender, education, smoking and alcohol consumption were investigated in residental homes-based cohort of more than 2,100 elderly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight percent of the entire population showed clinical signs of cognitive decline. Eighteen percent, 22%, 16% and 10% were classified as mild cognitive impairment, mild, moderate and severe stages of cognitive decline, respectively. Considered individually, all the examined dementia risk factors were significantly related to the presence of the cognitive decline. Age, female gender and regular drinking increased the risk, while smoking, higher level of education and occasional or former history of alcohol consumption were protective factors. The male gender associated regular alcohol consumption represented the strongest risk, especially with low education levels. When the different severity subgroups were compared, similar risk tendencies have been observed, but the most robust effects were associated with the most severe stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The well-known dementia risk and protective factors are confirmed in our study. Taking these variables into consideration, the Hungarian cohort is similar to other ethnic groups in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Békés County Hospital, Gyula, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vincze
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almos
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boda
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Döme
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bódi
authors.forename: Gyozo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szlávik
authors.forename: Erzsébet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maglóczki
authors.forename: Magdolna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pákáski
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Janka
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kálmán
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects