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Zuelsdorff M, Limaye VS. A Framework for Assessing the Effects of Climate Change on Dementia Risk and Burden. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2024; 64:gnad082. [PMID: 37392416 PMCID: PMC10860581 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) represent a public health crisis poised to worsen in a changing climate. Substantial dementia burden is modifiable, attributable to risk rooted in social and environmental conditions. Climate change threatens older populations in numerous ways, but implications for cognitive aging are poorly understood. We illuminate key mechanisms by which climate change will shape incidence and lived experiences of ADRD, and propose a framework for strengthening research, clinical, and policy actions around cognitive health in the context of climate change. Direct impacts and indirect risk pathways operating through built, social, interpersonal, and biomedical systems are highlighted. Air pollution compromises brain health directly and via systemic cardiovascular and respiratory ailments. Flooding and extreme temperatures constrain health behaviors like physical activity and sleep. Medical care resulting from climate-related health shocks imposes economic and emotional tolls on people living with dementia and caregivers. Throughout, inequitable distributions of climate-exacerbated risks and adaptive resources compound existing disparities in ADRD incidence, comorbidities, and care burden. Translational research, including work prioritizing underserved communities, is crucial. A mechanistic framework can guide research questions and methods and identify clinical- and policy-level intervention loci for prevention and mitigation of climate-related impacts on ADRD risk and burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Zuelsdorff
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Vijay S Limaye
- Science Office, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York City, New York, USA
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Hou K, Xu X. Ambient temperatures associated with reduced cognitive function in older adults in China. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17414. [PMID: 37833389 PMCID: PMC10575877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44776-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The cognitive function status of older adults determines the social function and living quality of older adults, which is related to the healthy development and stability of the society. However, the impact of high or low ambient temperature on cognitive function in older adults remains unclear. Based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), we comprehensively assessed the impact of ambient temperature on the cognitive function of older adults in this study. The findings exhibited that for each 1 °C ascent in monthly temperature of high temperature, the examination score of global cognitive function of older adults decreased by 0.48 (95% CI 0.21-0.74), which was greater than that of 0.14 (95% CI 0.06-0.25) for each 1 °C reduction in low temperature. Overall, the detrimental effect of high temperature on cognitive function in older adults was more significant than that of low temperature, including on the five sub-cognitive functions involved. Our research provides vital technical guidance and reference for the health protection and prevention of cognitive function of older adults in specific external environmental conditions under the current climatic variation and temperature rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Hou
- School of Remote Sensing and Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | - Xia Xu
- Jiangsu Province Hydrology and Water Resources Investigation Bureau, Nanjing, 210029, China
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Zhang L, Luo Y, Zhang Y, Pan X, Zhao D, Wang Q. Green Space, Air Pollution, Weather, and Cognitive Function in Middle and Old Age in China. Front Public Health 2022; 10:871104. [PMID: 35586008 PMCID: PMC9108722 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.871104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior research has shown that environmental hazards, such as limited green space, air pollution, and harmful weather, have the strong adverse impact on older adults' cognitive function; however, most of the studies were conducted in developed countries and limited to cross-sectional analyses. China has the largest aging population in the world so the research evidence from it can offer an insight to the study in other developing countries facing similar issues and inform future public health policy and disease control. This study examined the long-term impact of environmental factors, namely, green space coverage, air pollution, and weather conditions on cognitive function using a nationally representative sample consisting of adults aged 45 years and older selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011–2018), the China City Statistical Yearbook, and other sources. Multilevel growth curve models were utilized for analysis and the mediator effects of physical activity and social engagement on the relationship between environmental factors and cognitive function were examined. Findings of this study showed that after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, annual precipitation of 80 cm or more, living in areas with July temperature of 28°C or higher, urban community, and green space coverage were positively associated with cognition score at the baseline and lower precipitation, urban community, and greater green space coverage were associated with slower cognitive decline over a 7-year period. The impact of gross domestic product (GDP) seemed to take into effect more and more over time. These effects did not substantially change after weekly total hours of physical activities and levels of social engagement were added. More research on the mechanisms of the effect of environmental factors on cognition is needed such as the subgroup analyses and/or with more aspects of environmental measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Zhang
- Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ye Luo
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
- *Correspondence: Ye Luo
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xi Pan
- Department of Sociology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, United States
| | - Dandan Zhao
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Qing Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Qiu Y, Deng Z, Jiang C, Wei K, Zhu L, Zhang J, Jiao C. The Associations of Meteorological and Environmental Factors with Memory Function of the Older Age in Urban Areas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095484. [PMID: 35564874 PMCID: PMC9105547 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Individual, meteorological, and environmental factors are associated with cognitive function in older age. However, little is known about how meteorological and environmental factors interact with individual factors in affecting cognitive function in older adults. In the current study, we used mixed effects models to assess the association of individual, meteorological, and environmental factors with cognitive function among older adults in urban areas. Data from 2623 adults aged 60 to 91 years from 25 provinces (or autonomous regions/municipalities) from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were used. We used the memory test in CFPS to measure memory function, while meteorological data from the daily climate data set of China’s surface international exchange stations, and the traffic and greening data compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China, were used to assess meteorological and environmental factors. The ICC of the empty model indicated that 7.7% of the variation in memory test scores for the older adults was caused by provincial characteristics. Results showed that the temperature and relative humidity of provinces moderated the effect of gender on the memory function for the older urban adults. Specifically, in the high temperature areas, memory scores for females were higher than those of males, and in the middle humidity areas, memory scores were also higher for the females than those of males. This study explained how meteorological and environmental factors played roles in influencing demographic factors on memory function among older adults. Further research is needed to better define the role and potential mechanism of this moderation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehong Qiu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Zeming Deng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chujuan Jiang
- School of Music and Dance, Division of Arts, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China;
| | - Kaigong Wei
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Lijun Zhu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jieting Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); (C.J.)
| | - Can Jiao
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.D.); (K.W.); (L.Z.)
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); (C.J.)
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Chen JH, Shih HS, Tu J, Chiou JM, Chang SH, Hsu WL, Lai LC, Chen TF, Chen YC. A Longitudinal Study on the Association of Interrelated Factors Among Frailty Dimensions, Cognitive Domains, Cognitive Frailty, and All-Cause Mortality. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 84:1795-1809. [PMID: 34719497 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive frailty integrating impaired cognitive domains and frailty dimensions has not been explored. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore 1) associations among frailty dimensions and cognitive domains over time and 2) the extended definitions of cognitive frailty for predicting all-cause mortality. METHODS This four-year cohort study recruited 521 older adults at baseline (2011-2013). We utilized 1) generalized linear mixed models exploring associations of frailty dimensions (physical dimension: modified from Fried et al.; psychosocial dimension: integrating self-rated health, mood, and social relationship and support; global frailty: combining physical and psychosocial frailty) with cognition (global and domain-specific) over time and 2) time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models assessing associations between extended definitions of cognitive frailty (cognitive domains-frailty dimensions) and all-cause mortality. RESULTS At baseline, the prevalence was 3.0%for physical frailty and 37.6%for psychosocial frailty. Greater physical frailty was associated with poor global cognition (adjusted odds ratio = 1.43-3.29, β: -1.07), logical memory (β: -0.14 to -0.10), and executive function (β: -0.51 to -0.12). Greater psychosocial frailty was associated with poor global cognition (β: -0.44) and attention (β: -0.15 to -0.13). Three newly proposed definitions of cognitive frailty, "mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-psychosocial frailty," "MCI-global frailty," and "impaired verbal fluency-global frailty," outperformed traditional cognitive frailty for predicting all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.49, 6.83, 3.29 versus 4.87; AIC = 224.3, 221.8, 226.1 versus 228.1). CONCLUSION Notably, extended definitions of cognitive frailty proposed by this study better predict all-cause mortality in older adults than the traditional definition of cognitive frailty, highlighting the importance of psychosocial frailty to reduce mortality in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Hau Chen
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hua-San Shih
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jennifer Tu
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jeng-Min Chiou
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Nankang District, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Hui Chang
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Li Hsu
- School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Physical Therapy Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Chuan Lai
- Graduate Institute of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ta-Fu Chen
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ching Chen
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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The Association of Meteorological Factors with Cognitive Function in Older Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18115981. [PMID: 34199578 PMCID: PMC8199712 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Individual and meteorological factors are associated with cognitive function in older adults. However, how these two factors interact with each other to affect cognitive function in older adults is still unclear. We used mixed effects models to assess the association of individual and meteorological factors with cognitive function among older adults. Individual data in this study were from the database of China Family Panel Studies. A total of 3448 older adults from 25 provinces were included in our analysis. Cognitive functions were measured using a memory test and a logical sequence test. We used the meteorological data in the daily climate dataset of China’s surface international exchange stations, and two meteorological factors (i.e., average temperature and relative humidity) were assessed. The empty model showed significant differences in the cognitive scores of the older adults across different provinces. The results showed a main impact of residence (i.e., urban or rural) and a significant humidity–residence interaction on memory performance in older adults. Specifically, the negative association between humidity and memory performance was more pronounced in urban areas. This study suggested that meteorological factors may, in concert with individual factors, be associated with differences in memory function in older adults.
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