Introduction: Olfactory function plays a role in cognitive decline. Olfactory disorders are known to predict faster cognitive decline and indicate nerve degeneration in the brain. Elderly people with lower assessment of olfactory function are associated with decreased memory function. While the elderly with low education are known to have a high risk of developing dementia. So far there has been no research on disorders of olfactory on cognitive function of elderly with low education.
Aim: This study aimed to determine the role of olfactory function and other risk factors related to cognitive decline in the elderly with lower education.
Method: A nested cohort study design was used in the fostered area of active age research (in the period 2015-2017) at North, West and Central Jakarta, in elderly with lower education. The cognitive function was assessed using the MMSE instrument. Subjects with a decrease of MMSE score more than 2 points compared to baseline were categorized as having cognitive decline. The olfactory assessment was tested using ten aromas that have been standardized, lipid profile, fasting glucose, and APOE were included.
Results: There were 148 elderly subjects with lower education background, majority of the respondent was female 114 (77%) with mean of age 70.2±8.9 years old. Our study showed that 64 (43.2%) subjects had cognitive decline with a mean of decreased was -1.02±3.8 after a follow-up of 2 years, bivariate analyses showed smoking habit and olfactory impairment as a risk factor of cognitive decline (p<0.05; OR=3.1; OR=2.6). In multivariate analyses, subjects with olfactory impairment were 2,7 times more likely to have cognitive decline.
Discussion: Olfactory disfunction is a risk factor for reduced cognitive function in the elderly with low education. |