Investigating the Prevalence of Dementia and Its Associated Risk Factors in a Chinese Nursing Home

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for dementia in residents aged 65 years and older in a Chinese nursing home. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a nursing home located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Cognitive status, including the presence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), was measured using a combination of medical history and objective cognitive assessments. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict the associated risk factors. RESULTS: In total, 943 residents (334 males and 609 females) aged 84.00±6.67 years (mean±SD) were included. Dementia was diagnosed in 420 (44.5%) residents, and MCI was diagnosed in 195 (20.7%). Mild, moderate, and severe dementia were present in 20.3%, 14.0%, and 65.7% of those in the dementia group, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that dementia was associated with a low education level (p=0.000), an advanced age (p=0.010), and a history of stroke (p=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found a high prevalence of dementia in a Chinese nursing home, and a high prevalence of patients with severe dementia. Risk factors for dementia included a low educational level, an advanced age, and a history of stroke. Appropriate interventions need to be applied to this population.

Association of stroke risk profile and vascular cognitive impairment / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the correlation between Framingham stroke risk profile(FSRP) and vascular cognitive impairment in stroke-free patients with cerebrovascular risk factors.Methods One hundred and eighty-four stroke-free subjects,selected from Zhejiang hospital,were divided into low risk group (56 subjects),moderate risk group (70 subjects) and high risk group (58 subjects) according to their FSRP score,and their cognitive function including memory ability,attention,executive function and language ability were assessed by Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA),auditory verbal learning test (AVLT),digit symbol test,trail making test(TMT),digit span and verbal fluency test.Results The total MoCA scores which were (7.2±4.6),(13.8±3.9),(29.6± 12.7) respectively,AVLT-delay recall scores which were(8.2± 1.6),(6.7± 1.4),(5.9± 1.5) respectively,and digit symbol test score which were(34.7±9.3),(32.6± 16.4),(29.7± 13.6) respectively in low,intermediate and high risk groups,decreased with the increasing risk of stroke(P＜0.05).The elapsed time in TMT-B which were (115.2 ±36.9) s,(147.6±44.8) s,(173.9±58.5) s respectively in low,intermediate and high risk groups,prolonged with the increasing risk of stroke (P＜0.05).FSRP was associated with cognitive function,but inversely related to MoCA,AVLT-delay recall,digit symbol test,TMT-B and digit span fall back (P＜0.05),but positively related to consuming time in TMT-B (P＜ 0.05).Multivariate regression analysis showed that advanced age,hypertension,diabetes and smoking were the risk factors for vascular cognitive impairment(P＜0.05).Conclusion Advanced age,smoking,hypertension and diabetes are the most important in vascular risk factors for cognitive impairment.Vascular risk factors can damage cognitive function with the increased risk of stroke,among which delayed recall and executive function are the main affected cognitive area.