Multimorbidity Patterns and Memory Trajectories in Older Adults: Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Aging

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multimorbidity Patterns and Memory Trajectories in Older Adults

T2 - Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Aging

AU - Bendayan, Rebecca

AU - Zhu, Y

AU - Federman, A

AU - Dobson, Richard

PY - 2021/4/30

Y1 - 2021/4/30

N2 - BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the multimorbidity patterns within a representative sample of UK older adults and their association with concurrent and subsequent memory. METHODS: Our sample consisted of 11 449 respondents (mean age at baseline was 65.02) from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). We used 14 health conditions and immediate and delayed recall scores (IMRC and DLRC) over 7 waves (14 years of follow-up). Latent class analyses were performed to identify the multimorbidity patterns and linear mixed models were estimated to explore their association with their memory trajectories. Models were adjusted by sociodemographics, body mass index (BMI), and health behaviors. RESULTS: Results showed 8 classes: Class 1: Heart Disease/Stroke (26%), Class 2: Asthma/Lung Disease (16%), Class 3: Arthritis/Hypertension (13%), Class 4: Depression/Arthritis (12%), Class 5: Hypertension/Cataracts/Diabetes (10%), Class 6: Psychiatric Problems/Depression (10%), Class 7: Cancer (7%), and Class 8: Arthritis/Cataracts (6%). At baseline, Class 4 was found to have lower IMRC and DLRC scores and Class 5 in DLRC, compared to the no multimorbidity group (n = 6380, 55.72% of total cohort). For both tasks, in unadjusted models, we found an accelerated decline in Classes 1, 3, and 8; and, for DLRC, also in Classes 2 and 5. However, it was fully attenuated after adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individuals with certain combinations of health conditions are more likely to have lower levels of memory compared to those with no multimorbidity and their memory scores tend to differ between combinations. Sociodemographics and health behaviors have a key role to understand who is more likely to be at risk of an accelerated decline.

AB - BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the multimorbidity patterns within a representative sample of UK older adults and their association with concurrent and subsequent memory. METHODS: Our sample consisted of 11 449 respondents (mean age at baseline was 65.02) from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). We used 14 health conditions and immediate and delayed recall scores (IMRC and DLRC) over 7 waves (14 years of follow-up). Latent class analyses were performed to identify the multimorbidity patterns and linear mixed models were estimated to explore their association with their memory trajectories. Models were adjusted by sociodemographics, body mass index (BMI), and health behaviors. RESULTS: Results showed 8 classes: Class 1: Heart Disease/Stroke (26%), Class 2: Asthma/Lung Disease (16%), Class 3: Arthritis/Hypertension (13%), Class 4: Depression/Arthritis (12%), Class 5: Hypertension/Cataracts/Diabetes (10%), Class 6: Psychiatric Problems/Depression (10%), Class 7: Cancer (7%), and Class 8: Arthritis/Cataracts (6%). At baseline, Class 4 was found to have lower IMRC and DLRC scores and Class 5 in DLRC, compared to the no multimorbidity group (n = 6380, 55.72% of total cohort). For both tasks, in unadjusted models, we found an accelerated decline in Classes 1, 3, and 8; and, for DLRC, also in Classes 2 and 5. However, it was fully attenuated after adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individuals with certain combinations of health conditions are more likely to have lower levels of memory compared to those with no multimorbidity and their memory scores tend to differ between combinations. Sociodemographics and health behaviors have a key role to understand who is more likely to be at risk of an accelerated decline.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106070012&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1 10.1093/gerona/glab009

DO - 10.1 10.1093/gerona/glab009

M3 - Article

SN - 1079-5006

VL - 76

SP - 867

EP - 875

JO - Journals of Gerontology Series. A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences

JF - Journals of Gerontology Series. A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences

IS - 5

ER -