Association of metabolic syndrome and low physical function with mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional analysis from the Tarumizu Study

<p>Objectives: To clarify the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS; Metabolic Syndrome), comorbid physical decline, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in community-dwelling older adults.</p><p>Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 554 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older (mean age 73.7±6.2 years, 63.4% women) was conducted using data from the Tarumizu Study 2019. MetS was determined using the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation, and physical function decline was judged as applicable if either or both grip strength (<28 kg for men and <18 kg for women) and usual walking speed (<1.0 m/sec) were below the cutoff values. Based on the presence or absence of MetS and physical decline, patients were operationally classified into four groups: robust group, MetS alone group (MetS group), physical decline alone group (physical decline group), and MetS and physical decline coexisting group (coexisting group). MCI was assessed by the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Functional Assessment Tool (NCGG-FAT) for memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed. Participants were considered to have MCI if they scored 1.5 SD or more below the norm, which takes into account age and education, on any of the tests. Logistic regression analysis was performed with MCI as the dependent variable and the four groups defined by the presence of MetS and physical decline as independent variables, with age, sex, educational history, and number of medications as covariates.</p><p>Results: Participants characteristics were 191 (34.5%) in the robust group, 218 (39.4%) in the MetS group, 62 (11.2%) in the physical decline group, and 83 (15.0%) in the coexisting group. Logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with the robust group, the physical decline group (odds ratio: 2.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-4.87) and the coexisting group (odds ratio: 2.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.21-4.79) each had a significant association with MCI. On the other hand, the MetS group showed no significant association with MCI compared with the robust group.</p><p>Conclusion: The presence of physical functional decline and the coexistence of MetS and physical decline are associated with MCI among community-dwelling older persons.</p>