Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Elderly People: A 10-Year Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Cognitive function has been reported to predict subsequent disability and mortality in elderly people. This study aimed to explore whether metabolic syndrome (MetS) resulted in cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly people or not, accounting for depression and other risk factors during a long-term follow-up period. Methods and Findings: A community-based cohort of 300 older adults was followed up for 10 years. Relationships among MetS, depressive symptoms, and consequent cognitive dys-function were explored using a logistic regression. The presence of MetS at the baseline visit was associated with a 2.7-fold increase in the risk of cognitive decline after 10 years, and de-pressive symptoms were associated with a 2.4-fold increase in the risk of cognitive decline in the community-dwelling elderly people. Conclusions: The long-term outcomes of MetS are associated with a significantly increased risk of cognitive decline among community-dwelling elderly people.