Affiliation:
1. Department of Geriatrics Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University) Shenzhen China
2. Post‐doctoral Scientific Research Station of Basic Medicine Jinan University Guangzhou China
Abstract
AbstractINTRODUCTIONOlder adults with multimorbidity are at high risk of cognitive impairment development. There is a lack of research on the associations between different multimorbidity measures and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in the community.METHODSWe used the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 2002 to 2018 and included data on dementia‐free participants aged ≥65 years. Multimorbidity measures included condition counts, multimorbidity patterns, and trajectories. The association of multimorbidity measures with cognitive function was examined by generalized estimating equation and linear and logistic regression models.RESULTSAmong 14,093 participants at baseline, 43.2% had multimorbidity. Multimorbidity patterns were grouped into cancer‐inflammatory, cardiometabolic, and sensory patterns. Multimorbidity trajectories were classified as “onset‐condition,” “newly developing,” and “severe condition.” The Mini‐Mental State Examination scores were significantly lower for participants with more chronic conditions, with cancer‐inflammatory/cardiometabolic/sensory patterns, and with developing multimorbidity trajectories.DISCUSSIONCondition counts, sensory pattern, cardiometabolic pattern, cancer‐inflammatory pattern, and multimorbidity developmental trajectories were prospectively associated with cognitive function.Highlights
Elderly individuals with a higher number of chronic conditions were associated with lower MMSE scores in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data.
MMSE scores were significantly lower for participants with specific multimorbidity patterns.
Individuals with developing trajectories of multimorbidity were associated with lower MMSE scores and a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Science and Technology Foundation of Shenzhen City
Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen Municipality