Associations of Neighborhood Disadvantage, Cardiometabolic Risk, and Cognition in a Community‐Dwelling Cohort

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundSocial determinants of health (SDoH) are important environmental factors in cardiometabolic risk and cognitive aging. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a measure of neighborhood‐level socioeconomic disadvantage and has been studied in normal cognition (NC), but relatively less is known about impact in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodThis study explores, in participants with NC and MCI enrolled in the Wake Forest ADRC Clinical Core, baseline measures of metabolic risk (Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing of blood glucose 120‐minute post‐challenge; OGTT‐120), cognition (Preclinical Alzheimer’s Cognitive Composite; PACC), demographics (age, education, diagnosis, race, sex), and participant national ADI rank (using baseline home address). Consensus diagnosis of NC and MCI was adjudicated by a panel of experts.ResultDemographics of community‐dwelling adults enrolled as a convenience sample in the Wake Forest ADRC with metabolic and cognitive measures by cognitive status is listed in Table 1. MCI participants, compared with CN, were older, more likely male and white, with lower education and PACC, and higher ADI (higher = more disadvantaged). Significant differences in ADI were observed when participants were stratified by race (Figure 1); post‐hoc tests indicate significantly higher ADI in Black compared to white participants, and to some degree, by higher ADI among Black participants compared with Asian participants. OGTT‐120 in participants with NC (n = 265) and MCI (n = 156) was not significantly associated with ADI national rank (Figure 2A); when controlling for age, sex, education, and diagnosis, there was still no association between OGTT‐120 and ADI. Higher ADI was significantly associated with lower PACC scores in individuals with NC (p = 0.044), but not MCI (Figure 2B); this association remained significant (p = 0.004) independent of age, sex, education, and diagnosis (all covariates p<0.001).ConclusionAmong community‐dwelling older adults, ADI national rank differs by participant race. OGTT‐120 does not correlate with ADI in participants with NC or MCI. PACC scores correlate negatively with ADI national rank in participants with NC, but not MCI; this relationship remained when controlling for covariates. Further analyses are necessary to examine the association between cardiometabolic risk and ADI.