Parental status in later life and parents’ risk of cognitive impairment

Having children is a potential resource for care and support in later life. However, whether and, if so, under what conditions, childless older individuals risk insufficient support remains unclear. Using the Danish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2017), restricted to respondents aged 67 years to 97 years ( n = 5,006), our study analyzes the link between availability of tangible support and parental status in a Nordic welfare state. Our results confirm a negative link between childlessness and support mainly among unpartnered individuals. This combined disadvantage is stronger among men than among women, and the support gap intensifies with increased health needs. Taken together, although childlessness in itself is no major disadvantage for support in late life, childless men living alone risk insufficient support, particularly when in poor health. Our findings have important policy implications for future cohorts of older individuals, who will have less access to support from either a spouse or children.

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Shift work and cognitive impairment in later life – results of a cross-sectional pilot study testing the feasibility of a large-scale epidemiologic investigation

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-018-6171-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tobias Weinmann ◽

Céline Vetter ◽

Susanne Karch ◽

Dennis Nowak ◽

Katja Radon

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Shift Work ◽

Large Scale ◽

Later Life ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Epidemiologic Investigation

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Abstract WP482: Early Life Exposure to the Stroke Belt and Later Life Incident Cognitive Impairment: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.wp482 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Virginia J Howard ◽

George Howard ◽

Jennifer J Manly ◽

M M Glymour ◽

Laura B Zahodne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Later Life ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Early Life Exposure ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Regards Study ◽

Adjusted Logistic Regression ◽

Stroke Belt

Introduction: Incidence of cognitive impairment is higher for residents of the Stroke Belt (SB) compared to those living outside it, but the importance of timing of SB residence is unclear. Methods: Participants were aged 45+ yrs, and enrolled in 2003-2007 in REGARDS. Cognition was assessed annually, by telephone, using the Six-Item Screener (SIS) in 11,488 black or white stroke-free participants currently living in the SB, and 8,949 currently living outside of the SB. Incident cognitive impairment was defined as SIS score of < 4 at last assessment among participants with initial SIS >4. Exposures were defined as SB residence all years, some years, or no years of childhood (ages 0-18) and early adulthood (ages 19-30). Demographic adjusted logistic regression models were stratified by SB residence at enrollment, and were used to estimate the demographic-adjusted odds of incident cognitive impairment. Results: Among those currently residing in the SB, childhood residence outside the SB for some (OR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68 - 0.99) or all (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.65 - 0.90) of the time predicted lower odds of incident cognitive impairment. Similarly, early adulthood residence outside the SB for some (OR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74 - 0.98) or all (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.58 - 0.84) of the time predicted lower incident cognitive impairment. Conversely, for those currently living outside the SB, the risk of incident cognitive impairment was higher for those who had spent their entire early adulthood in the SB (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.01 - 2.57), with non-significant increased risk for childhood exposure or some early adulthood exposure to the SB (table). Conclusions: These findings suggest that early residence in the SB during childhood or early adulthood increases the risk of cognitive impairment regardless of place of residence in later adulthood. Further research is needed to determine the characteristics of early SB life that are linked to later adult cognitive impairment.

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The Association Between Diabetes and Cognitive Function in Later Life

Current Aging Science ◽

10.2174/1874609812666190614104328 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 62-66

Author(s):

Yadollah A. Momtaz ◽

Tengku A. Hamid ◽

Mohamad F. Bagat ◽

Maryam Hazrati

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Population Based ◽

Term Treatment ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Long Term Treatment

Introduction: Although diabetes through several possible mechanisms such as increased microvascular pathology and inefficiency of glucose utilization during cognitive tasks can be associated with cognitive impairment, there is inconclusive evidence that shows elderly diabetic patients under therapy have higher cognitive function compared to their non-diabetics counterparts. The present study was conducted to elucidate the association between diabetes and cognitive function in later life. Methods: Data for this study, consisting of 2202 older adults aged 60 years and above, were taken from a population-based survey entitled “Identifying Psychosocial and Identifying Economic Risk Factor of Cognitive Impairment among Elderly. Data analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS Version 23.0. Results: The mean of MMSE was found to be 22.67 (SD = 4.93). The overall prevalence of selfreported diabetes was found to be 23.6% (CI95%: 21.8% - 25.4%). The result of independent t-test showed diabetic subjects had a higher mean score of MMSE (M = 23.05, SD =4 .55) than their counterparts without diabetes (M = 22.55, SD = 5.04) (t = -2.13 p<.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that diabetes was not significantly associated with cognitive function, after controlling the possible confounding factors. Conclusions: The findings from the current study revealed that diabetes is not associated with cognitive decline. This study supports the findings that long-term treatment of diabetes may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. This finding may provide new opportunities for the prevention and management of cognitive decline.

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Early-Life Risk Factors for Dementia and Cognitive Impairment in Later Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-180856 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 221-229 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Xue-Jie Wang ◽

Wei Xu ◽

Jie-Qiong Li ◽

Xi-Peng Cao ◽

Lan Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Early Life ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Later Life

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Age of first exposure to football and later-life cognitive impairment in former NFL playersAuthor Response

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000001942 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 85 (11) ◽

pp. 1007-1010 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Joseph C. Maroon ◽

Jim Andrikopoulos ◽

Glenn J. Larrabee ◽

Robert A. Stern ◽

Julian Bailes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Later Life

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Depressive symptoms in later life: differential impact of social support and motivational processes on depression in individuals with and without cognitive impairment

European Journal of Ageing ◽

10.1007/s10433-014-0311-2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 321-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sonja Fankhauser ◽

Reinhard Drobetz ◽

Moyra Mortby ◽

Andreas Maercker ◽

Simon Forstmeier

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Later Life ◽

Differential Impact

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Dementia associated with alcohol and other drug use

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610205001985 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 17 (s1) ◽

pp. S109-S127 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Gary K. Hulse ◽

Nicola T. Lautenschlager ◽

Robert J. Tait ◽

Osvaldo P. Almeida

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Drug Use ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Diagnostic Category ◽

Later Life ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Causal Pathway ◽

Chronic Use

The acute use of alcohol and several other licit and illicit drugs can affect mental state and cognitive function. The chronic use of certain drugs may also increase the risk of cognitive impairment and perhaps dementia in later life. This paper focuses on the long-term cognitive consequences of using alcohol, benzodiazepines, tobacco and cannabis. Currently available evidence indicates that mild to moderate alcohol consumption is not associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and may in fact have a protective effect against dementia, although heavy, long-term consumption is likely to have a negative impact on cognitive function. The degree that alcohol-related cognitive impairment must reach to be classified as dementia is currently obscure. Longer-term smoking is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and possibly dementia. The chronic use of benzodiazepines has been associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment but information relating to dementia remains inconclusive. The chronic use of cannabis may impair intellectual abilities but data on this topic remain sparse and difficult to interpret. In conclusion, there is evidence that some drugs contribute to the causal pathway that leads to the development of cognitive impairment but currently available data do not support the introduction of a separate diagnostic category of drug-induced dementia (such as alcohol-related dementia). Health promotion programs designed to decrease tobacco smoking and “harmful” alcohol use (and possibly other drug use) may decrease the burden of cognitive impairment and perhaps dementia in later life.

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