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Association of C-Reactive Protein and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

  • Original Research
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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a newly described pre-dementia syndrome characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. Previous studies have indicated an association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and cognitive decline, but no clear relationship between CRP and MCR has been reported. The purpose of the study is to examine the associations between CRP with MCR and MCR subtypes.

Methods

Participants were 5,642 adults aged ≥60 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). MCR was defined as cognitive complaints and slow gait speed without dementia or impaired mobility. Two subtypes of MCR were defined by whether memory impairment (MI) was also present, such as MCR-MI and MCR-non-MI. MI was evaluated through the immediate recall and delayed recall in a word recall test during the CHARLS and was defined as 1.0 standard deviation or more below the mean values of the test scores in this cohort.

Results

Of the participants, 421 (7.46%) met the criteria for MCR. After multivariate adjustment, participants with higher CRP levels had an increased likelihood of MCR (fourth quartile: adjusted odds ratio [OR]=1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–1.95) compared with those in the first quartile group. The OR for MCR-MI was 2.04 (95% CI: 1.35–3.09) for the highest quartile of CRP compared to the lowest quartile. No significant associations between CRP levels and odds of MCR-non-MI were observed.

Conclusions

Higher CRP levels were associated with increased odds of prevalent MCR-MI but not MCR-non-MI among community-dwelling older adults.

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Funding

Funding: This work was supported by the PLA General Hospital youth funding Grant No.QNF19033.

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Author notes

  1. These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship

  2. These authors have contributed equally to this work and share last authorship

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Peking University Health and Science Centre, Beijing, 100191, China

    A. Bai

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    H. Shi

  3. Department of Geriatric Cardiology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    X. Huang

  4. Haikou Cadre’s sanitarium of Hainan Military Region, Haikou, 570203, China

    Weihao Xu

  5. Department of Ultrasound, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Yujiao Deng

  6. Haikou Cadre’s sanitarium of Hainan Military Region, Haikou, China

    Weihao Xu

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  1. A. Bai
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  2. H. Shi
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  4. Weihao Xu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Weihao Xu or Yujiao Deng.

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Conflicts of interest: None.

Ethical standards: The study was approved by Ethical Review Committee of Peking University which required informed consent to be obtained.

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Bai, A., Shi, H., Huang, X. et al. Association of C-Reactive Protein and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. J Nutr Health Aging 25, 1090–1095 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1678-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1678-3

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