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Role of Chronic Conditions in Dementia
Study looks at ‘multimorbidity’ effect on elderly
Older adults with multiple chronic conditions are at greater risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, according to a prospective cohort study involving 2,176 elderly individuals.
Participants were selected at random from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Their average age was about 78; slightly more than half were men. They underwent evaluation and neuropsychometric testing at baseline and at 15-month intervals. Patients with 2 or more chronic conditions were considered to have multiple morbidities.
Nearly 87% had multimorbidity. They were 1.38 times more likely to have MCI or dementia vs those without multiple morbidities. Compared to those with one or no chronic conditions, the incidence of MCI or dementia was:
• 1.61 times higher in those with 4 or more chronic conditions
• 1.03 times higher in those with 2 or 3 chronic conditions
• 1.53 times higher for men with multimorbidity
• 1.20 times higher for women with multimorbidity
Citation: Vassilaki M, Aakre J, et al. Multimorbidity and risk of mild cognitive impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015;63(9):1783-1790.