title: Association of metabolic syndrome with cognitive function: the role of sex and age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive impairment is a prevalent condition in older populations, independently associated with disability and mortality. Some studies have suggested a negative correlation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive functioning, but results in older subjects are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of cognitive performance with MetS in an older unselected population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the association of the Hodkinson Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) score with MetS, as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program's ATP-III criteria, in all 353 subjects aged 75+ living in Tuscania (Italy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MetS was positively associated with the AMT score in multivariable linear regression analysis, after adjusting (B=0.45, 95% CI=0.04-0.90; p=0.03). When the same regression model was analyzed after stratifying for sex, such an association was significant in women (B=0.76, 95% CI=0.16-1.36; p=0.01), but not in men. Also, when the regression model was analyzed in women, MetS was associated with better cognition (B=1.41, 95% CI=0.51-2.30; p<0.01) among participants aged 80+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MetS is associated with better cognitive performance in community-dwelling elderly; such an association seems to depend upon the oldest female subjects.
authors: Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University of Medicine, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy. postalice@tiscali.it
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Laudisio
authors: Emanuele
authors: E
authors: Marzetti
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Pagano
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Cocchi
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Franceschi
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Bernabei
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Zuccalà
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007558:Italy; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors