Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Performance Among Chinese ≥50 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study with 3988 Participants

To date, the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive performance has not been well defined. This study aimed to explore the relationship between MetS and cognitive performance among Chinese elderly population.

A cross-sectional study was performed, with data collected in seven clinical centers from five provinces of Northern China. All recruited participants were ≥50 years of age and complained with cognitive impairment or were reported with cognitive impairment by his/her caregiver(s). MetS was diagnosed according to the criteria issued by Chinese Medical Association Diabetes Association. Cognitive function was scored by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Three thousand nine hundred eighty-eight participants (in an average of 66.4 ± 8.8 years of age, male 53.1%) were included in the analysis. Six hundred seventy-three (16.9%) participants were diagnosed with MetS, and 3013 (75.6%) participants had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (MoCA score <26). There was no statistically significant difference in the MoCA scores between participants with MetS (21.0 ± 5.4) and without MetS (21.3 ± 5.3). In the logistic regression, after adjusting factors of age, education, marital status, smoking, and physical activity, diabetes and dyslipidemia were associated with MCI, whereas hypertension and overweight or obesity were not. Participants with diabetes had a higher risk of MCI (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.50). Participants with dyslipidemia had a lower risk of MCI (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68-0.97).

In our study, MetS is not associated with cognitive performance in elderly Chinese population. However, elderly Chinese with diabetes would have lower cognition function, and the dyslipidemia might be reversely associated with the cognitive function.