Air pollution as a risk factor for Cognitive Impairment no Dementia (CIND) and its progression to dementia: A longitudinal study

Abstract Vision impairment (VI) is common in late-life and may be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. In this study, using data from the population-based Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS), we analyzed the association of VI with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and dementia. We found that VI (binocular presenting acuity <20/40) was significantly associated with incident CIND (OR=3.5, 95% CI=1.4-8.9, p=0.008) and dementia (OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.0-3.1, p=0.040) after adjusting for age. However, among those with CIND, VI was not associated with dementia (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.4-1.8, p=0.733). The association between VI and CIND remained significant in models fully adjusted for demographic and health factors (OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.0-7.5, p=0.049). We conclude that VI is associated with development of CIND but not with subsequent onset of dementia. These findings suggest that the association between VI and dementia is driven by the elevated risk of dementia among those with CIND.

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Utilization of healthcare services among elderly with cognitive impairment no dementia and influence of depression and anxiety: a longitudinal study

Aging & Mental Health ◽

10.1080/13607863.2016.1161006 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 810-822 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alexandre St-Hilaire ◽

Carol Hudon ◽

Michel Préville ◽

Olivier Potvin

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Utilization Of Healthcare ◽

Cognitive Impairment No Dementia

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Education Differences in the Adverse Impact of PM2.5 on Incident Cognitive Impairment Among U.S. Older Adults

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-200765 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Jennifer Ailshire ◽

Katrina M. Walsemann

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Fine Particulate Matter ◽

Aging Brain ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Nationally Representative

Background: Air pollution is linked to worse cognitive function in older adults, but whether differences in this relationship exist by education, a key risk factor for cognitive decline, remains unknown. Objective: To determine if the association between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and incident cognitive impairment varies by level of education in two cohorts assessed a decade apart. Methods: We used data on adults ages 60 and older from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked with tract-level annual average PM2.5. We used mixed-effects logistic regression models to examine education differences in the association between PM2.5 and incident cognitive impairment in two cohorts: 2004 (n = 9,970) and 2014 (n = 9,185). Cognitive impairment was determined with tests of memory and processing speed for self-respondents and proxy and interviewer assessments of cognitive functioning in non-self-respondents. Results: PM2.5 was unrelated to incident cognitive impairment among those with 13 or more years of education, but the probability of impairment increased with greater concentrations of PM2.5 among those with 8 or fewer years of education. The interaction between education and PM2.5 was only found in 2004, possibly because PM2.5 concentrations were much lower in 2014. Conclusion: Education is an important risk factor for cognitive decline and impairment, and in higher pollution contexts may serve as a protective factor against the harms of air pollution on the aging brain. Additionally, because air pollution is ubiquitous, and particularly harmful to vulnerable populations, even small improvements in air quality may have large impacts on population health.

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