The Shanghai Aging Study: study design, baseline characteristics, and prevalence of dementia.
BACKGROUND
To establish a prospective cohort to enumerate the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among residents aged ≥60 in an urban community of Shanghai, China.


METHODS
Participants received clinical evaluations including physical measurements, demographic and lifestyle questionnaires, physical and neurologic examinations, and neuropsychological testing. Urine and blood samples were collected, aliquoted, and stored. DNA was extracted for Apolipoprotein (APOE) genotyping. Diagnoses of dementia and MCI were made using standard criteria via consensus diagnosis.


RESULTS
Among 3,141 participants aged ≥60, 1,438 (45.8%) were men. The average age of participants was 72.3 years (SD 8.1), and they had an average of 11.6 years (SD 4.4) of education. The most common chronic disease of participants was hypertension (56.4%). The frequencies of APOE-​ε2, ε3 and ε4 were 7.9, 82.7 and 9.4%, respectively. We diagnosed 156 (5.0%, 95% CI 4.3-5.8%) participants with dementia. The prevalence rates of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia were 3.6% (95% CI 3.0-4.3%) and 0.8% (95% CI 0.5-1.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
The Shanghai Aging Study is the first prospective community-based cohort study of cognitive impairment in China, with a comparable study design, procedures, and diagnostic criteria for dementia and MCI to most previous cohort studies in developed countries.
Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Neurosciences, Shanghai, PR China.
Ding
D
Ding
Qianhua
Q
Zhao
Qihao
Q
Guo
Haijiao
H
Meng
Bei
B
Wang
Peimin
P
Yu
Jianfeng
J
Luo
Yan
Y
Zhou
Lirong
L
Yu
Li
L
Zheng
Shuguang
S
Chu
James A
JA
Mortimer
Amy R
AR
Borenstein
Zhen
Z
Hong
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014505:Urban Population
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4