THE ASSOCIATION OF LIFELONG LEARNING AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION: FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Abstract Chronic infections and the subsequent immune response have recently been shown to be risk factors for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders (ADRD). While some studies have shown an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV), a chronic and highly prevalent infection, and cognition and/or ADRD, these are limited by non-representative and small samples. Using data from 5,617 adults aged 65 years and older from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, we investigated the cross-sectional association between both CMV serostatus and IgG antibody response and cognitive function using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment. We further investigated potential effect measure modification by educational attainment. Overall, both CMV seropositivity and higher IgG were associated with lower cognitive function, though the relationship was not statistically significant in adjusted models. Among those with less than a high school diploma, CMV seropositivity and being in the first tertile of IgG response relative to seronegatives were associated with lower TICS score (-0.56 (95%CI: -1.63, 0.52) and -0.89 (95%CI: -2.07, 0.29), respectively), and the relationship was attenuated among those with higher education. Our results suggest that CMV may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment, particularly among those with low educational resources.

Download Full-text

Research on Family Relationship and Cognitive Function among Older Hispanic Americans: Empirical Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.1177/07399863211025419 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073998632110254

Author(s):

Chuihui Xiao ◽

Shan Mao ◽

Siming Jia ◽

Nan Lu

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Hispanic Americans ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Family Relationship ◽

The United States ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Older Population ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Retirement Study

The current study aimed to investigate the associations between family relationship and cognitive function among Hispanic older population. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with a sample size of 1,580 individuals from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States (mean age = 65.65 ( SD = 9.33)). Family relationship was measured in three dimensions: structural, functional, and appraisal support. The results of linear regression analysis indicated that diverse composition of family network (β = .070, p = .009) and receiving financial support from family members (β = .060, p = .018) were associated with better cognitive function. Moderation analyses demonstrated that these associations were greater for Hispanic women than men. Current findings highlight the importance of family relationship on cognitive function among Hispanic older population and suggest that researchers and policymakers should put emphasis on the structural and functional aspects of family relationship to improve their cognitive health.

Download Full-text

The Association Between Alcohol Consumption And Cognitive Function In The Middle-Aged And Older Population: A Study Using The Health And Retirement Study (Hrs) Data

Value in Health ◽

10.1016/j.jval.2016.03.1336 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. A190

Author(s):

C Chen ◽

DW Raisch

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Older Population ◽

Retirement Study

Download Full-text

Abstract P288: Association Between Vision Impairment and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults With Stroke: Health and Retirement Study

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.52.suppl_1.p288 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Kimberly Hreha ◽

Brian Downer ◽

Joshua R Ehrlich ◽

Giulio Taglialatela

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Vision Impairment ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Fair Poor ◽

Retirement Study ◽

Good Vision

Introduction: Nearly 800,000 people in the United States sustain a stroke each year. Up to 60% of stroke survivors have visual impairments and/or ocular deficits, which may negatively impact functional performance, quality of life, and increase the risk for depression. Poor vision has been associated with cognitive decline in older adults, but little is known if vision impairment is a risk factor for cognitive decline among older adults who have survived a stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between vision impairment and cognitive decline among stroke survivors and compare the cognitive trajectories of stroke survivors with and without visual impairment. Methods: We used data from four waves (2010-2016) of the Health and Retirement Study to investigate the cognitive health of stroke survivors with and without visual impairment. Vision (excellent-very good [ref], good, fair-poor) and stroke diagnosis were self-reported. Cognition was measured using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Linear mixed effects regression was used to model the association between overall, near, and far vision and change in cognitive function, adjusting for confounders. Results: The final sample included 1,475 stroke survivors. A majority were female (55.6%) and white (66.3%) and the mean age was 71.0 (11.7). Fair-poor overall ( B =-1.30, p <0.01), near ( B =-1.53, p <0.001), and far ( B =-1.27, p <0.001) vision, as well as good near ( B =-0.82, p <0.001) and far ( B =-0.48, p <0.05) vision were associated with significantly lower baseline cognitive function compared to excellent-very good vision. The association between self-rated vision and cognition decline was not statistically significant. Conclusions: We found that people with worst vision had lower cognitive functioning but not greater cognitive decline than stroke survivors with excellent-to-very good vision. Further research should investigate if specific types of vision impairment potentiate the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in stroke survivors.

Download Full-text