Risk and protective factors for cognitive decline in older adults from a nationally representative sample in India: Results from the LASI‐DAD
INTRODUCTION: We characterized modifiable risk and protective factors for cognitive decline in India. METHODS: Using the first nationally representative population-based longitudinal sample of N = 6168 older adults in India, we evaluated associations of risk factors (demographic characteristics, self-reported and objective health characteristics, health behaviors, and sensory function) for late-life cognitive decline with up to 6.4 years of follow-up (range: 2.8 to 6.4 years). RESULTS: The mean rate of general cognitive decline was -0.029 SD per year and was progressively steeper with age. Most risk factors, particularly demographic and cardiovascular characteristics, were associated with steeper cognitive decline in expected directions: Associations of history of high cholesterol or heart attack on rate of cognitive decline, for example, were comparable to being 8 to 10 years older. DISCUSSION: Most risk factors were associated with change in expected directions, highlighting the potential generalizability to India of previously identified risk factors for dementia.
Authors
- Ravi Kirti
- Venugopalan Gunasekaran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9379-2267)
- Minakshi Dhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6336-5179)
- Sandy Chien
- Alden L. Gross (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4678-0562)
- Durgesh Prasad Sahoo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3724-0107)
- Monica Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3992-1013)
- Chhaya Rajguru
- M Sukumar
- T. V. Sekher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9725-002X)
- Sarabmeet Singh Lehl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4276-5189)
- Albert Weerman
- Sankha Shubhra Chakrabarti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7737-0016)
- Karishma De
- Arunansu Talukdar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0407-4969)
- David E. Bloom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3731-3345)
- Jinkook Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6209-719X)
- Kenneth M. Langa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2798-1836)
- Erik Meijer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7959-4670)
- Sarah Petrosyan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5122-6155)
- Istikhar Ali
- Joyita Banerjee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3432-9782)
- M Ashitha Varghese
- Aparajit Ballav Dey
- V. Pandit
- Peifeng Hu
- John P John
- Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6086-6578)
- P.Sivakumar P.Sivakumar
- Madhumita Priyadarshini Das
- Anushikha Dhankhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9856-8774)
- Vishakha Jain
- Emma Nichols
- Arun Kokane
- Rajeev Aravindakshan
- Gevesh C. Dewangan
- Harrshita Vishwakarrma
- Sharmistha Dey
- Miguel Arce Rentería
- Pranali Y. Khobragade
- Umar Hafiz Khan
- Ziqi Zhou
- Mary Ganguli
- Marco Angrisani
- Lalit Sankhe
- Eileen M. Crimmins
Institutions
- University of Southern California (US)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Raipur (IN)
- Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals (IN)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Patna Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- International Institute for Population Sciences (IN)
- Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- KPC Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Government Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhopal (IN)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar (IN)
- St.John's Medical College Hospital (IN)
- Geriatric Education and Research Institute (SG)
- Harvard Global Health Institute (US)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh (IN)
- Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IN)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IN)
- Columbia University (US)
- Banaras Hindu University (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Alzheimer s & Dementia
- Published
- 2026-06-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71602
- Primary Topic
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institute on Aging