title: Metabolic syndrome correlates poorly with cognitive performance in stroke-free community-dwelling older adults: a population-based, cross-sectional study in rural Ecuador.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies investigating a possible correlation between metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline have been inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether metabolic syndrome or each of its components correlate with cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults in rural Ecuador.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke-free Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door survey. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Cognition was evaluated by the use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Multivariate logistic regression models estimated the association between metabolic syndrome and each of its components with cognitive performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 212 persons (mean age: 69.2 ± 7.2 years, 64 % women) were enrolled. Of these, 120 (57 %) had metabolic syndrome. Mean scores in the MoCA were 18.2 ± 4.6 for persons with and 19 ± 4.7 for those without metabolic syndrome. In fully adjusted logistic models, MoCA scores were not associated with metabolic syndrome (p = 0.101). After testing individual components of metabolic syndrome with the MoCA score, we found that only hypertriglyceridemia was independently associated with the MoCA score (p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This population-based study showed a poor correlation of metabolic syndrome with cognitive performance after adjusting for relevant confounders. Of the individual components of metabolic syndrome, only hypertriglyceridemia correlated with worse cognitive performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Ecuador, Guayaquil, Ecuador. oscardelbrutto@hotmail.com.|, Air Center 3542, PO Box 522970, Miami, Fl, 33152-2970, USA. oscardelbrutto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Del Brutto
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Robertino M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mera
authors.affiliation: Community Center, The Atahualpa Project, Atahualpa, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambrano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Cognitive performance; Ecuador; Metabolic syndrome; Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Population-based studies