Is metabolic syndrome linked with cognitive decline?

January 01, 0001

Is metabolic syndrome linked with cognitive decline?

These French researchers tested whether there was a link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive decline. They enrolled participants in the Three Cities Study over the age of 65 (n=7087). They assessed cognitive decline using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Isaacs Set Test (IST), and the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT). MetS was defined by NCEP/ATP-III criteria. Proportional hazards models were adjusted for various confounders including age, gender, educational level, baseline cognitive score, and APOE4 genotype.

The researchers found: "MetS at baseline was associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline on MMSE (hazard ratio [HR

The researchers concluded: "MetS as a whole and several of its components had a negative impact on global cognitive decline and specific cognitive functions in older persons."

This study finds evidence that metabolic syndrome and some of its component criteria are linked with subsequent cognitive decline.

For the full abstract, click here.

Neurology 76(6):518-525, 8 February 2011 © 2011 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
Metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline in French elders: the Three City Study. C. Raffaitin, C. Féart, M. Le Goff. Correspondence to C. Raffaitin: [email protected]

Category: N. Neurological, T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline, hyperglycemia, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, observational study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 4 March 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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