Association of diabetes, hypertension and obesity with cognitive impairment in adults.

UNLABELLED: Cognitive impairment (CI) is prevalent in aging and affects the functionality and autonomy of individuals. Previous studies have demonstrated its association with metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM), systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. Still, the synergic association of these comorbidities in the Brazilian population has not yet been explored. Elucidating the magnitude of the relationship between metabolic diseases and CI informs the planning of more effective health care and attention strategies.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between DM, SAH, hypercholesterolemia and obesity and CI in adults aged 50 years or older.

METHODS

Cross-sectional population-based study using data from the second wave of the Brazilian longitudinal study of aging - ELSI-Brazil (2019). A total of 6,449 participants with complete data on the variables of interest and who responded directly to the survey were included in the analysis. CI was defined using standardized test z-scores. Exposures were identified through self-reported medical diagnoses and waist circumference measurements.

RESULTS

The combination of DM, hypertension, and obesity was associated with a 4% increase in the prevalence of CI. With the addition of hypercholesterolemia, this increase reached 10%. The isolated or combined presence of only two of these conditions was not associated with significant differences.

CONCLUSION

Among people aged 50 and over, CI is more prevalent in those with multiple metabolic alterations. In a scenario of aging and high burden of chronic diseases, the findings reinforce the urgency of integrated prevention and control strategies to contain CI.