title: Cognitive decline is associated with nutritional risk in subjects with small head circumference (HC).
abstract: Nutrition has been found to be associated with cognitive impairment, but it has not been established whether these associations are present solely in later life or whether they are present in younger age as well. HC is a good indicator of brain development and the most sensitive anthropometric indicator of prolonged malnutrition during early life. This study examined the interaction between early HC and later (nutrition screening initiative) nutritional factors on the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly. The longitudinal factorial design had the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score as the dependent variable, with HC as one factor and nutritional risk as another. We studied a sample of 495 not cognitively impaired Korean participants with 2 years follow-up data. After multivariable adjustment, interactive effect between HC and nutritional risk was significantly associated with cognitive decline (F=2.449, p=0.045). Simple main effect analysis showed that compared with highest HC, lowest HC was associated with a cognitive decline. Nutritional risk was associated with cognitive function decline only in individuals with small HC. Therefore, the prevention for cognitive impairment and dementia should involve nutritional strategies throughout life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, CHA University Bundang cha hospital, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-Si, Kyounggi-Do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kang Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hae-Kwan
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Jin-Sup
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Hae Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Byoung Hoon
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Chang Hyung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index