The Association of Metabolic Syndrome with Executive Dysfunction Independent of Subclinical Ischemic Brain Lesions in Japanese Adults

Abstract

Background/Aims: The aim of this study is to examine whether metabolic syndrome is directly associated with cognitive impairment independent of subclinical ischemic brain lesions. Methods: We examined 1,543 neurologically normal subjects (44–86 years of age). Metabolic syndrome, brain MRI, and cognitive functions including general cognition and executive function were assessed. Results: After adjusting for silent brain lesions and demographic risk factors, metabolic syndrome was an independent risk factor for impairment of executive function (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.17–1.25 for Kohs’ Test; OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.64–3.07 for Frontal Assessment Battery). Among the components of metabolic syndrome, elevated fasting glucose was the only independent risk factor for impairment of executive function. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is associated with impairment of executive function independent of silent brain lesions in the Japanese population.

The association of metabolic syndrome and aging with cognition in Asian men

“…Association of metabolic syndrome and with cognition has been equivocal, with studies showing negative, positive or neutral associations [10][11][12][13]21,23]. Gender and age may complicate the associations of MetS and cognition [11,12,[22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

“…Different domains of human cognition are thought to be variably affected by behavioral, psychological, lifestyle, environmental and other factors including metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Cognition and Brain

“…Multiple cognitive domains are affected, even after controlling for medical factors such as CVD and T2DM 28 , silent brain lesions 22 , education and socioeconomic status 22–23 , depressive mood, coronary heart disease, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. 23 MetS has been linked to deficits in memory, visuospatial abilities, executive functioning, processing speed, and overall intellectual functioning.…”

The association of diabetes and dementia and possible implications for nondiabetic populations

“…In postmenopausal women aged 50–65 years who were users of hormone replacement therapy, insulin resistance was associated with lower right and total hippocampal volume, and with worse overall cognitive performance and specific tests assessing verbal and nonverbal memory [10]. Metabolic syndrome was associated with poor cognitive performance in men aged 40–79 years [66] and with poor executive function in neurologically normal subjects aged 44–86 years of age, an effect that was independent of silent brain lesions [67]. Similarly, metabolic syndrome was associated with increased risk for cognitive impairment in a 4-year follow-up study of women who were cognitively intact at baseline [68].…”