Comorbid Chronic Conditions and Subjective Cognitive Decline‐ A Snap‐shot

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundRapidly increasing aging population in Delaware forecasts not only an increased burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) but also a sharp rise in comorbid chronic conditions. Estimating the burden and characteristics of this “dual burden” is critical. Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD)—a population‐based measure‐ was used to measure ADRD. The primary objective was to study prevalence of selected chronic conditions among Delaware adults with SCD in order to compare the prevalence of chronic conditions among people with and without SCD.MethodData for Delaware were obtained from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Respondents aged 45 years or older who answered the SCD screening question as “yes” or “no” were included in the analyses. Participants were identified as having a diagnosed chronic disease if they had been told by a doctor or other health care provider that they ever had angina; arthritis; asthma; cancer; chronic kidney disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; diabetes; heart attack; and stroke. Descriptive statistics examined sociodemographic characteristics and chronic conditions in Delawareans with and without SCD.ResultNearly 1 in 12 of Delaware adults reported SCD. Compared with those without SCD, Delawareans with SCD were two or three times more likely to have angina, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, asthma, COPD, cancer, arthritis, or kidney disease. Nearly eighty percent of Delawareans with SCD have at least one other chronic health condition. More than seventy ‐five percent of Delawareans with SCD were two times as likely to have any one of the selected chronic conditions as compared to those without SCD. Adults with comorbid chronic conditions and SCD were more likely to report functional limitations.ConclusionBy 2030 the proportion of Delawareans over 60 will nearly double. Study results can facilitate timely targeted interventions to address the burden of SCD and comorbid chronic conditions in Delaware.