Factors associated with cognitive performance of non-demented elderly outpatients

Abstract

Objective : To evaluate the cognitive performance of non-demented elderly and its relation to sociodemographic, clinical and biochemical variables. Methods: 71 subjects (≥ 60 years) were studied. Sociodemographic data were collected in interviews; MMEM was used to assess cognition, the clinical variables were taken from the patient's medical record, and biochemical measurements were taken through blood tests which measured serum levels of vitamin B12, TSH and CRP. Results : Most of the subjects were women, older than 80 years old, with education between 1 and 4 years. Most of them had no diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, thyroid dysfunction or osteoporosis, and had their blood levels within the normal range; hypertension was present in 81% of patients. The average MMSE showed significant relation to gender, education and dyslipidemia; the presence of this diagnosis was related to better cognitive performance. Conclusion: This study suggests that elderly monitored by specialized health service can receive treatment for managing symptoms of morbidity and comorbidities, controlling, among others, cardiovascular risk factors, thus protecting them from suffering cognitive loss.