Effect of cardiovascular and metabolic disease on cognitive test performance and cognitive change in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases on initial cognitive test performance and rate of change in three cognitive measures.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
General practices in six towns throughout Germany.


METHODS
Three thousand three hundred twenty-seven participants aged 75 and older (average 79.7 ± 3.6).


METHODS
Data were collected during home visits every 18 months and included sociodemographic variables, depression, disease status, drug intake, and cognition.


RESULTS
Although the presence of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke and diabetes mellitus was related to poor initial cognitive test performance, the presence of those and other far-reaching chronic diseases or a higher disease burden were not related to the rate of change in cognition over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes mellitus, stroke and TIA affect cognitive test performance beyond well-known sociodemographic variables and depressive symptoms, although none of these diseases contributed to cognitive decline over time. In practical terms, prevention and diagnosis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases may be essential to cognitively healthy aging.
Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. mi.koehler@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Mirjam
M
Köhler
Matthias
M
Kliegel
Hanna
H
Kaduszkiewicz
Cadja
C
Bachmann
Birgitt
B
Wiese
Horst
H
Bickel
Edelgard
E
Mösch
Siegfried
S
Weyerer
Jochen
J
Werle
Angela
A
Fuchs
Michael
M
Pentzek
Hanna
H
Leicht
Hans-Helmut
HH
König
Melanie
M
Luppa
Steffi
S
Riedel-Heller
Frank
F
Jessen
Wolfgang
W
Maier
Martin
M
Scherer
Michael
M
Wagner
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales