Variation in risk factors of dementia among four elderly patient cohorts

AIM: To examine variation in risk factors that contributed to dementia among four elderly cohorts by race and gender. METHODS: We examined 2008 Tennessee Hospital Discharged database for vascular factors that play a role in both stroke and dementia. Risk factors for dementia were examined for black and white patients aged 65+. Four race-gender groups of patients-white males(WM), black males(BM), white females(WF), and black females(BF) were compared for prevalence of dementia and stroke. A logistic model predicting dementia in each group separately used several vascular factors affectingdementia directly or indirectly through stroke. RESULTS: Three point six percent of patients hospitalized in 2008 had dementia and dementia was higher among females than males(3.9% vs 3.2%, P < 0.001), and higher among blacks than whites(4.2% vs 3.5%, P < 0.000). Further, BF had higher prevalence of dementia than WF(4.2% vs 3.8%, P < 0.001); similarly BM had more dementia than WM(4.1% vs 3.1%, P < 0.001). In logistic regression models, however, different patterns of risk factors were associated with dementia in four groups: among WF and WM, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and stroke predicted dementia. Among BF and BM, only stroke and diabetes were related to dementia.CONCLUSION: Aggressive management of risk factors(hypertension and diabetes) may subsequently reduce stroke and dementia hospitalization.