Abstract

IntroductionHaemoglobin concentrations decrease with age. Abnormally low and high haemoglobin concentrations are associated with reduced cognition; however, the evidence for these associations in cohort data is limited. This study aims to assess the relationship between haemoglobin concentration and cognition in a well-characterised cohort of older adults.MethodsTwo hundred and fifty-two healthy participants were drawn from the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s cohort, aged between 59 to 65 years. Participants underwent cognitive tests of processing speed, memory, verbal and nonverbal reasoning, and language ability and these were used to construct a global cognitive score, g, using principal component analysis. Haemoglobin concentration in the blood was measured concurrently. Hierarchical multiple regression models were constructed assessing the relationship between haemoglobin concentration and each cognitive measure and these were corrected for age, sex, education, C-reactive protein, hypertension, and body mass index.ResultsSignificant linear association between haemoglobin concentration and nonverbal reasoning demonstrated that low haemoglobin levels are associated with lower scores. A quadratic relationship was found for haemoglobin concentration and immediate memory scores in which low and high haemoglobin levels were associated with lower scores.ConclusionsHaemoglobin concentration was found to have a significant linear association with nonverbal reasoning scores and a significant quadratic association with memory scores. The results from this study help to understand the association between haemoglobin and different aspects of cognition.

Highlights

  • ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the relationship between haemoglobin concentration and cognition in a well-characterised cohort of older adults

  • Significant linear association between haemoglobin concentration and nonverbal reasoning demonstrated that low haemoglobin levels are associated with lower scores

  • A quadratic relationship was found for haemoglobin concentration and immediate memory scores in which low and high haemoglobin levels were associated with lower scores

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Summary

Objectives

This study aims to assess the relationship between haemoglobin concentration and cognition in a well-characterised cohort of older adults. This study aims to better understand the importance of abnormal haemoglobin levels for cognitive function and brain health in nondemented normal older adults

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