Relationship between asthma and cognition: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Minimal data are available on the relationship between asthma and cognitive performance. In this report, we examine the relationship between asthma and cognitive performance in older adults, a subpopulation with elevated risk of cognitive impairment. We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of 1380 participants age ≥55 who completed preventive health examinations at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX. Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a brief test for mild cognitive impairment. Data were analyzed in a multiple logistic regression using MoCA scores suggestive of cognitive impairment as the dependent variable. When controlling for demographic characteristics, self-rated health status, inhaled corticosteroid use, and FEV1 /FVC, asthma were associated with 78% increased risk of cognitive impairment (P=0.02) as defined by MoCA score. In the largest sample examined to date, we have identified a significant relationship between asthma and cognitive impairment in older people.