Mild cognitive impairment in general practice: Age-specific prevalence and correlate results from the German study on ageing, cognition and dementia in primary care patients (AgeCoDe)

Background: Although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a high-risk factor for developing dementia, little is known about the prevalence of MCI among patients of general practitioners (GPs). Aims: Estimation of age-specific prevalence for original and modified concepts of MCI and their association with sociodemographic, medical and genetic (apoE epsilon 4 genotype) factors among patients of GPs. Methods: A GP practice sample of 3,327 individuals aged 75+ was assessed by structured clinical interviews. Results: Prevalence was 15.4% ( 95% CI = 14.1-16.6) for original and 25.2% ( 95% CI = 23.7-26.7) for modified MCI. Rates increased significantly with older age. Positive associations were found for apoE epsilon 4 allele, vascular diseases and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: MCI is frequent in elderly patients of GPs. GPs have a key position in secondary prevention and care of incipient cognitive deterioration up to the diagnosis of dementia. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.