Mild cognitive impairment in the population and physical health: Data on 1,435 individuals aged 75 to 95

Background. The physical health correlates of mild cognitive impairment (MC I) in the older individual are poorly known. The aim of this study was to i nvestigate the relationship between physical health and MCI with population data. Methods. Subjects were 1,435 nondemented 75- to 95-year-old subjects. MCI w as defined as scoring one standard deviation below age- and education-speci fic means on the Mini-Mental Stare Examination. MCI was consistently associ ated with indicators of poorer health in logistic regression models with ad justment for potential confounders. Results. The adjusted odds ratios for those with two, three, four, or more somatic symptoms compared with those with one or no symptoms were 1.3 (95% confidence intervals 1.0 to 1.9) and 3.1 (1.2 to 4.5; p for trend = .004); for those with poor self-rated health the odds ratio was 19 (1.4 to 2.6); f or those with one, two, or more chronic diseases compared with those with n o chronic diseases, the odds ratios were 1.3 (0.9 to 1.9) and 3.0 (1.2 to 7 .6; p for trend = .02); and for those dying during the 3-year follow-up per iod the odds ratio was 1.5 (1.1 to 2.2). Conclusions. MCI is associated with poor physical health, leading to the hy pothesis of a causal relationship between physical diseases and MCI in olde r populations.