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Researchers involved in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging have reported that more than 6 percent of Americans ages 70-89 develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) every year, and the condition appears to affect men and those who only have a high school education more than women and those who have completed some higher education (Neurology, online, Jan. 25, 2012).
Of the 1,450 study participants involved in the study, 296 developed MCI, an incidence rate of 6.4 percent per year overall. Among men, the incidence rate was 7.2 percent, compared with 5.7 percent per year for women.
"While incidence rates for MCI have been reported previously, ours is one of the few studies designed specifically to measure the incidence of MCI and its subtypes using published criteria," said lead author Rosebud Roberts, MB, ChB, of the Division of Epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "The statistically significant difference between incidence rates among men and women represents an important finding for those evaluating patients for MCI."
The study also looked in more detail at patients with MCI, dividing them according to whether they developed amnestic MCI (aMCI), which affects the memory domain, or non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Similar to the overall results, the incidence rates for both were higher in men. In addition, individuals with only a high school education developed either aMCI or naMCI at a higher rate than those with some higher education.
"Understanding the distribution of incident MCI by age, sex and other demographic variables is critical to helping us understand the cause of the condition, as well as how to prevent MCI and its progression to full-blown, irreversible dementia," Dr. Roberts said. "This study advances our understanding of MCI and will help clinicians provide even better care for their patients, especially during initial evaluations."
Symptoms of MCI include difficulty learning and remembering new information, difficulty solving problems or making decisions, forgetting recent events or conversations, and taking longer to perform complex or difficult mental activities.
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