Association of anthropometric and nutrition status indicators with cognitive functions in centenarians

How anthropometric and nutrition status indicators relate to cognitive function in the oldest old adults is an issue that needs to be explored. This study aimed to analyze the association of parameters and nutrition status indicators (waist circumference, BMI, calf circumference, and waist-calf circumference ratio [WCR]) with cognitive functions in centenarians.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with the full sample of 1002 centenarians from Hainan. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was used to identify cognitive impairment. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the strength of association between each anthropometric index and the risk of cognitive impairment or severe cognitive impairment identified by MMSE. Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) curve was used to visualize the linear or non-linear relationship of each pair.

The risk of cognitive impairment identified by MMSE for centenarians was reduced by 12% for every 1 cm thickening of the calf circumference (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.95) and the increase in each unit of WCR increased cognitive impairment the risk by 1.60 times (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.31-5.13) after adjusting for demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and type of residence) and lifestyle (i.e., smoking, drinking, and exercise) related variables.

Results suggest that calf circumference is negatively associated with the risk of cognitive impairment identified by MMSE in centenarians. Older adults with lower calf circumference should pay attention to their cognitive function.