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Abstract

<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>The relationships between obesity and cognitive decline in aging are mixed and understudied among Hispanics/Latinos.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To understand associations between central obesity, cognitive aging, and the role of concomitant cardiometabolic abnormalities among Hispanics/Latinos.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>Participants included 6,377 diverse Hispanics/Latinos enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and SOL-Investigation for Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA). Participants were 45 years and older at the first cognitive testing session (Visit 1). Cognitive outcomes (z-score units) included global composite and domain specific (learning, memory, executive functioning, processing speed) measures at a second visit (SOL-INCA, on average, 7 years later), and 7-year change. We used survey linear regression to examine associations between central obesity (waist circumference≥88 cm and≥102 cm for women and men, respectively) and cognition. We also tested whether the relationships between obesity and cognition differed by cardiometabolic status (indication of/treatment for 2 + of the following: high triglycerides, hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol).</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Central obesity was largely unassociated with cognitive outcomes, adjusting for covariates. However, among individuals with central obesity, cardiometabolic abnormality was linked to poorer cognitive function at SOL-INCA (ΔGlobalCognition =-0.165, p < 0.001) and to more pronounced cognitive declines over the average 7 years (ΔGlobalCognition = -0.109, p < 0.05); this was consistent across cognitive domains.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Central obesity alone was not associated with cognitive function. However, presence of both central obesity and cardiometabolic abnormalities was robustly predictive of cognition and 7-year cognitive declines, suggesting that in combination these factors may alter the cognitive trajectories of middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos.</p>

Year of Publication
2021
Journal
J Alzheimers Dis
Volume
82
Issue
3
Number of Pages
1203-1218
Date Published
2021
ISSN Number
1875-8908
DOI
10.3233/JAD-210314
Alternate Journal
J Alzheimers Dis
PMID
34151803
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