The present study mainly focused on the 441 MCI and analyzed their progression to dementia, reversion to normal cognition, and remained stable during 6 years of follow up. There were 17.5% MCI community elderly progressed to dementia and 80.7% remained stable. Low education level, diabetes, and past occupation as a manager increased the risk of MCI progressing to dementia.
A meta-analysis conducted by our team showed that the probability of community elderly MCI progression to dementia was 34% (95% CI: 26-42%), which was lower than clinic-based outcomes [18]. Gao et al. followed up 208 MCI (among of the 437 participants older than 55 years) in Singapore and found that 4% MCI progressed to dementia and 44% MCI reversed to normal cognition during the six-year follow-up [19]. Besides, Pandya et al. reported that 35% of the 1,208 participants meeting MCI criteria progressed to dementia at two-years [20]. While, in this study, the MCI progression ratio was 17.5%. The different operational diagnostic criteria, assessment process, regional difference and participant backgrounds might explain the widely possibility of MCI progression to dementia. Verlinden et al. investigated trajectories of cognition and daily functioning in preclinical dementia, during 18 years of follow-up, revealing that dementia cases first reported memory complaints 16 years before diagnosis, followed by decline in MMSE and ADL [21]. Therefore, the age of memory complaints also affected the length of time for MCI progression to dementia.
In this study, low education increased the risk of MCI progression to dementia, which was similar to those of many studies at home and abroad [22]. A survey of cognitive abilities of the elderly in Shanghai suburbs showed that low education was associated with impairment of cognitive function, and the risk of dementia was gradually declined as the years of schooling increasing [23]. However, a systematic literature review revealed that lower education was associated with a greater risk for dementia in many but not all studies [24]. Unhealthy lifestyles of the less educated compared with higher educated individuals was usually used to explain the relevance of low education and dementia. While, at present, the “greater cognitive reserve hypothesis” rather than “lifestyle hypothesis” was more precisely. High education individuals may have a greater cognitive reserve which may postpone the clinical manifestation of dementia [22, 25].
Besides, diabetes also increases the risk of progression of MCI to dementia. In our study, compared with those without diabetes, the risk of diabetes MCI progression to dementia was three times higher. There were plenty evidence to support the results. Neuropathologic studies have revealed cerebral atrophy and subclinical brain infarction evidence in diabetes patients without dementia [26]. Presumably, small-vessel disease and high levels of glycated hemoglobin which were common symptoms of chronic hyperglycemia increased the oxidative stress as well as the accumulation of advanced glycation end products, then led to the alterations in synaptic plasticity and damage of the central nervous cells [27-29]. According to Ji et al. fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels were inversely associated with cognitive function scores, meaning that the higher the blood glucose level, the more severe the cognitive dysfunction [30]. This finding was similar to those of previous studies conducted in Beijing [31, 32], which indicated that fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, ß=1.313, p=0.01) were independent influencing factors of cognitive impairment (MMSE assessment) in elderly type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome increased the risk of MCI progression [33, 34]. High fasting blood glucose level increased the risk of dementia even in non-diabetes individuals [35].
Interestingly, hypoglycemia, a common adverse effect in diabetes treatment by insulin or anti-diabetes drugs, may also increase the risk for dementia. According to Frier et al., hypoglycemia caused cognitive impairment probably through neuronal cell death, hippocampal atrophy, and microvascular infarction (mainly induced by platelet aggregation) [36]. As we all know, the severe hypoglycemia could cause irreversible damage to cognitive function. While, mild hypoglycemia which was less noticeable due to mild symptoms would be more harmful [36]. Diabetic individuals who had a history of hypoglycemic episodes faced a higher risk of dementia [37]. The control and maintenance of the normal blood glucose level displayed protective effect on the cognitive function in the elderly [38].
Moreover, past occupation as a manager was another risk factor for MCIp. In our study, the MCIs and MCIr of managers was 0.1 times that of technical staff. Keohane et al. found that complex work which required higher mental stimulation may be protective for cognitive function. It was possible due to the continuously use of the brain increased the cognitive reserve in the technical staff [39]. The more you use your brains, the slower the cognitive function declines, and this advantage became more apparent after age 65 [40].
The present study has several limitations. First, in order to save time and economic cost, this study used a non-invasive MMSE and MoCA screening scale with high reliability and validity, rather than high-cost detection methods such as magnetic resonance and genetic testing to reflect the cognitive changes. Second, in our previous study, the mean MMSE score of MCI (2011, n=441, ≥55 years old) was 26.58±2.48, which was higher than that of other investigators (2008, n=2809 cases, ≥60 years old) with 24.37±4.071 [23]. This may be one of the reasons for the low MCIp rate in this study. While, this study specifically investigated the relevant factors of the MCI outcomes among the older population in Shanghai. We hope that our findings would be of guiding significance for preventing MCI progression to dementia.