title: Feeling Older and the Development of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Subjective age is a biopsychosocial marker of aging associated with a range of outcomes in old age. In the domain of cognition, feeling older than one's chronological age is related to lower cognitive performance and steeper cognitive decline among older adults. The present study examines whether an older subjective age is associated with the risk of incident cognitive impairment and dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 5,748 individuals aged 65 years and older drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Measures of subjective age, cognition, and covariates were obtained at baseline, and follow-up cognition was assessed over a 2- to 4-year period. Only participants without cognitive impairment were included at baseline. At follow-up, participants were classified into one of the three categories: normal functioning, cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), and dementia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An older subjective age at baseline was associated with higher likelihood of CIND (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 1.09-1.28) and dementia (OR = 1.29; 1.02-1.63) at follow-up, controlling for chronological age, other demographic factors, and baseline cognition. Physical inactivity and depressive symptoms partly accounted for these associations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An older subjective age is a marker of individuals' risk of subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia.
authors.affiliation: University of Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Humanities and Social Science, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Angelina R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sutin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Humanities and Social Science, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terracciano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: Cognitive impairment; Dementia; Subjective age