Prevalence of cognitive impairment in Spain: The Gómez de Caso study in health sentinel networks

• Published in: Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain) Vol. 33; no. 8; pp. 491 - 498
• Main Authors: Vega Alonso, T, Miralles Espí, M, Mangas Reina, J M, Castrillejo Pérez, D, Rivas Pérez, A I, Gil Costa, M, López Maside, A, Arrieta Antón, E, Lozano Alonso, J E, Fragua Gil, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Spain 01-10-2018
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Prevalence; Sentinel Surveillance; Spain - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban Population; Prevalence; Atención primaria; Deterioro cognitivo; Prevalencia; Primary care; Demencia; Cognitive impairment; Dementia
• ISSN: 1578-1968; 2173-5808
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2016.10.002

Cognitive impairment, a clinical entity causing complete or partial intellectual dysfunction, is a major public health concern that poses a challenge for health and social services. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of this disorder in people aged 65 and older visiting the primary care physician in 5 health sentinel networks.
A sample of patients visiting their primary care doctor on 4 randomly selected days completed the Mini-Cog screening test. Diagnosis of cognitive impairment was confirmed with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Alzheimer's Questionnaire. We estimated raw and adjusted rates using demographic and social variables.
We included 4,624 patients from 5 autonomous communities and representing a population of 1,723,216 inhabitants. The adjusted prevalence rate was 18.5% (95% CI 17.3-19.7], with differences between sentinel networks. Women showed higher adjusted rates than men: 18.5 vs. 14.3%. The highest prevalence rate was observed in people aged 85 and older (45.3%); prevalence rates vary depending on education level and marital status.
Cognitive impairment is a frequent reason for consultations in primary care. Its prevalence is higher in women and increases exponentially with age. A number of sensitive, validated tools have been proven useful in screening for and confirming cognitive impairment. Using these tools in primary care settings enables early treatment of these patients.