Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the association of blood hypertension and certain behavioral risk factors with cognitive decline in elderly individuals.
Methods
A subsample of 92 elderly people aged ≥ 75 years was taken from 411 people (aged 65+ years) living in a rural area of Crete, Greece. Detailed medical and family/social history data were recorded on a standard validated health card, and cognitive disorders were assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The participants were evaluated for behavioral risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol consumption and dietary habits. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the risk (odds ratios, OR) of cognitive impairment.
Results
The mean age of participants was 80.8 ± 4.3 years old with 66.3% being married, and their MMSE mean score was 23.4 ± 4.6; 46.7% had severe and/or mild symptoms of cognitive decline, while more than half (67.4%) had been diagnosed with hypertension. Living alone (OR: 3.48, p = 0.034), being physically inactive (OR: 5.65, p = 0.046) and low consumption of fruits and vegetables (OR: 4.16, p = 0.018) were found to increase the odds of cognitive impairment, while elderly people with hypertension were also found to have lower odds of cognitive impairment (OR: 0.42, p > 0.05).
Conclusion
Although the observational character of this study carries some potential limitations, the reverse association of cognitive capacity with hypertension constitutes a ‘paradox’ phenomenon and is in contrast to the current literature. Further research with a larger sample is needed to better understand the observed association.
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Abbreviations
- MMSE:
-
Mini Mental State Examination
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece (no. 82, 3/20.07.2005) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Stefanaki, I., Linardakis, M. & Lionis, C. Is cognitive status of the Cretan elderly aged ≥ 75 years associated with known behavioral and vascular risk factors?. J Public Health (Berl.) 28, 81–87 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-018-01006-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-018-01006-8