title: The Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Longitudinal Changes in Clock Drawing Test Performance in Older Nondemented Hypertensive Individuals.
abstract: The present study evaluated the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as independent predictor of 1-year longitudinal changes in cognitive function.
  
  
  
  104 stroke- and dementia-free older hypertensive subjects were studied. MetS was defined by NCEP ATP-III criteria. Cognitive function was assessed by the Clock Drawing Test (CDT); 1-year changes in cognitive function were expressed as annual changes in CDT performance. Brain magnetic resonance imaging studies (1.5T) were performed.
  
  
  
  Participants with MetS exhibited greater cognitive decline than those without (-1.78 ± 1.47 versus -0.74 ± 1.44 CDT points, t = 3.348, df = 102, p < 0.001). MetS predicted cognitive decline (β = -0.327, t = -3.059, df = 96, p = 0.003) independently of its components, age, baseline cognition, neuroimaging findings, blood pressure levels, and duration of hypertension. With the exception of systolic blood pressure, none of the individual components of MetS explained 1-year changes in CDT performance.
  
  
  
  MetS as an entity predicted accelerated 1-year decline in cognitive function, assessed by CDT, in a sample of older hypertensive subjects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gerontology, Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic, and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Surveillance and Promotion of Health, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.viscogliosi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viscogliosi
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, Casa di Cura "Merry House", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Iulia Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Chiriac
authors.affiliation: Division of Gerontology, Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic, and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gerontology, Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic, and Geriatric Sciences, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Evaristo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ettorre
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: clock drawing test; cognitive decline; metabolic syndrome