Abstract
Objective Blood stasis (BS) constitution represents a tendency to stagnation and positively associates with the severity of atherosclerosis. In this study, we have identified the interaction effect between BS constitution and atherosclerosis on cognitive impairment in the elderly people. Methods Eligible elderly people ≥65 years old who attended physical examination in the Mawei community of Fuzhou city during 2015 were enrolled in this study. We explored the characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitution and atherosclerotic factors in the normal and cognitive impairment groups and their interaction effect between participants' Minimental State Examination (MMSE) scores in the elderly people. Results The prevalence of cognitive impairment in the elderly people was 13.0%. Red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), ankle brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV), and blood stasis (BS) were significantly different between normal and cognitive impairment group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that RBC (odds ratio (OR)=0.530 (0.343-0.817), P=0.004), HB (OR=0.980 (0.967-0.993), P=0.003), ABI (OR=2.199(1.112-4.347), P=0.023), and blood stasis constitution (OR=1.808 (1.022-3.202), P=0.042) were correlated with cognitive impairment. The interactions of blood stasis with HB, ABI, and BaPWV significantly impacted the MMSE score (P<0.05). Conclusion Elderly individuals with blood stasis may be at a higher risk of arterial stenosis and sclerosis, leading to susceptibility to cognitive impairment.
Highlights
Cognitive impairment generally refers to various degrees of compromised cognitive function due to diverse factors, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to dementia
We adjusted for sociodemographic factors using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and our results indicated that Blood stasis (BS) constitution was independently associated with atherosclerosis in patients with cognitive impairment
The results showed that χ2 value 2.191 1.142 2.993 2.685 0.103 0.048 4.208 3.621 (b) Distribution of Minimental State Examination (MMSE) scores in various Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutions of aged population with cognitive impairment (n=135)
Summary
Cognitive impairment generally refers to various degrees of compromised cognitive function due to diverse factors, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The incidence of cognitive impairment is increasing [1]. One of the major challenges in public health is to identify the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly populations and to take proper preventive measures, for maximizing benefits and minimizing the risk for the elderly population. A number of studies have suggested that atherosclerotic factors, including age, sex, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, ankle brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV), smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise, are closely associated with cognitive impairment and increases the odds of the disease [2, 3]. The differences in individual TCM constitution determine the differential susceptibility and tendency to certain diseases [4], leading to different onsets of cognitive impairment. Delaying the onset or progression should follow the principle of suiting measures according to different TCM constitutions [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
