Subjective cognitive decline in Brazil: Prevalence and association with dementia modifiable risk factors in a population-based study

IntroductionSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of SCD in Brazil and its association with dementia modifiable risk factors. MethodsWe used data of 8138 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), a population-based study that included clinical and demographic variables of individuals across the country. We calculated the prevalence of SCD and its association with dementia modifiable risk factors. ResultsWe found that the prevalence of SCD in Brazil was 29.21% (28.22%-30.21%), varying according to region, sex, and age. SCD was strongly associated with hearing loss, low education, psychological distress, Brown/Pardo and Black races. DiscussionThe prevalence of SCD in Brazil is higher than in high-income countries. Brown/Black races and dementia modifiable risk factors were associated with SCD. Public strategies that target SCD may help mitigate the incidence of dementia.

Automated summary

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in Brazil and investigate its association with dementia modifiable risk factors. The results showed a higher prevalence of SCD in Brazil, which was strongly associated with hearing loss, low education, psychological distress, and specific races. Therefore, public strategies targeting SCD may help reduce the incidence of dementia.