Anxiety symptoms and risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the oldest old women.
OBJECTIVES
Research is limited and findings conflict regarding anxiety as a predictor of future cognitive decline in the oldest old persons. We examined the relationship between levels of and changes in anxiety symptoms, and subsequent dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the oldest old women.


METHOD
We conducted secondary analyses of data collected from 1425 community-dwelling women (mean age = 82.8, SD ±3.1 years) followed on average for five years. The Goldberg Anxiety Scale was used to assess anxiety symptoms at baseline, and an expert clinical panel adjudicated dementia and MCI at follow-up. Participants with probable cognitive impairment at baseline were excluded.


RESULTS
At baseline, 190 (13%) women had moderate/severe anxiety symptoms and 403 (28%) had mild anxiety symptoms. Compared with those with no anxiety symptoms at baseline, women with mild anxiety symptoms were more likely to develop dementia at follow-up (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.45). No significant association was observed between anxiety symptoms and MCI.


CONCLUSION
In the oldest old women, our findings suggest that mild anxiety symptoms may predict future risk of dementia, but not MCI. Future studies should explore potential biological mechanisms underlying associations of anxiety with cognitive impairment.
['Kassem|Ahmed M|AM|0000-0003-4053-7841', 'Ganguli|Mary|M|', 'Yaffe|Kristine|K|', 'Hanlon|Joseph T|JT|', 'Lopez|Oscar L|OL|', 'Wilson|John W|JW|', 'Ensrud|Kristine|K|', 'Cauley|Jane A|JA|', '|||']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001007:Anxiety D001008:Anxiety Disorders D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction D003704:Dementia D005260:Female D005500:Follow-Up Studies D006801:Humans D012306:Risk D014481:United States
Aging community sample epidemiology