Dementia Prevalence in the CARhES Cohort: Importance of Socioeconomic Level

Objectives: Dementia preventive strategies might benefit from a comprehensive approach that considers the interplay of biological and social factors. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of dementia by sex and age in a cohort of individuals with cardiovascular risk factors, and to assess how sociodemographic and clinical factors are associated with this disease. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted on ≥55-year-old individuals from the CARhES (CArdiovascular Risk factors for HEalth Services research) Spanish cohort. Real-world data on sociodemographic, clinical, and drug information was obtained. Dementia cases were identified by diagnoses and pharmacological treatment. Age- and sex-stratified logistic regression models and sex-stratified CTree analyses were used. Results: The prevalence of dementia among the 323,973 individuals in the cohort was 5.2%, 3.4% in men and 6.6% in women, and it increased with age. In both sex groups, stroke and depression were associated with a higher prevalence of dementia for all the age groups, while sex differences were found in the association of the rest of the sociodemographic and clinical variables with dementia. Being older and with lower socioeconomic status were the most predictive factors of dementia prevalence. Stroke was a stronger indicator in men than in women, while hypertension was nearly twice as significant in women. Conclusions: The prevalence of dementia in people with cardiovascular risk factors was 5.2%, similar to that of the general population. Besides age, having a lower socioeconomic level was the most important indicator of dementia, which may justify more resources and care for these populations.