Metabolic syndrome and cognitive performance in the elderly

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions, each of which represents a risk factor for cardiovascular disease: central obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension. In different recent studies, MetS has been associated with an accelerate cognitive decline in the elderly. The aim of our research was to investigate the relationship between MetS and cognitive performance in 174 Italian elderly people living in Val Cenischia (Piedmont, Italy). Mini mental state examination (MMSE) has been administered to assess the cognitive status of all participants. The prevalence of MetS is 50.3% (51.3 and 49.5% for males and females, respectively). Our results confirm the association between MetS and worse cognitive performance in the elderly: an increased number of MetS components is associated with an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment (odds ratio=1.54; confidence interval 95%:1.04-2.28; P<0.05).