COPD and Cognitive Impairment??

[mary57]

Is COPD a Risk Factor
for Cognitive Impairment?


Findings from a recent study suggest that you may be at increased risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MCI causes a slight but noticeable and measurable decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and thinking skills, and increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

To investigate the association between COPD and MCI, researchers followed 1,425 people 70 to 89 years old who were participants in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Each participant had a medical-record-confirmed diagnosis of COPD and normal cognition.

Cognitive status was assessed at the start of the study and every 15 months thereafter for an average of five years. During that time, more than 25 percent of the group (370 people) developed MCI; those who had been diagnosed with COPD more than five years before baseline faced the greatest risk. Having COPD also doubled the risk of developing a subtype of MCI, known as non-amnestic MCI. Rather than affecting memory, non- amnestic MCI impairs thinking skills such as the ability to make sound decisions.

This study did not examine why cognitive impairment might be associated with COPD, but there are several possible reasons, including a low oxygen level (hypoxemia) and increased inflammatory mediators found in the blood of COPD patients.

This study was reported in JAMA Neurology (Volume 71, page 581)

[Deborah]

That would be depressing if I could remember it!

[judi]

I'm not as sharp as I used to be but I figure since no one has asked me to help design the new space shuttle I don't need to be and I can still function fine in my daily life. :-)

judi

[hugahusky]

Thanks for posting this, Mary. It is something to think about but I will not get alarmed about this study or any other for that matter. There is so much written about possible interactions but very little actual proof.thaks again

[gerald]

Agreed. There is beginning to be major questions about the validity of studies in general. The does not appear to be scientific scrutiny as to methodology, correlation of results and the establishment of the base for the study.

Cognitive impairment can be caused by by many conditions / diseases. There is nothing in their study to say whether the COPD had any other conditions.

[skate4life]

Gerald - do you have access to the JAMA article in full? There are so many other factors that I question how they could single out COPD.

[gerald]

I was able to locate the abstract which contains a bit more detail, but the entire study is stricted to members only, as are the tables and reference material. The study was published in May 2014. The population for the study was aged 70 to 89. The selection was done from a pool of people used by the Mayo clinic in study that was done in 2004.

So they sorted through the data and picked 1425 people. They then tested them for COPD. No mention if they tested them for existing cognitive impairment.

So we have a study taken from a population that was screened for another purpose, subsetted again for this study, who are entering an age range where MCI can occur naturally for many reasons.


It is great that this article was posted because at least it shows people are doing research on these topics.  And from these we know where to look for more information.   I wish Organisations like JAMA would vette them a little better.

[Vic]

It makes some sort of sense to me that O2 Saturation being reduced in COPD patients would also reduce the amount of O2 reaching the brain.

Also, cigarette smoking has been known to reduce cognitive capabilities in the brain with or without COPD. Following that (and most COPD folks were long-term smokers), I think it fits. Nothing scientific to my reasoning, just makes sense to me. -- Vic

[gerald]

Vic, you are correct, it does make sense.
Oxygen reduction could definitely cause issues. My respiratory specialist is concerned that my oxygen levels drop quite low.

There are many conditions that occur as we age, the MCI is one, and having COPD could exacerbate those conditions with lower oxygen levels. COPD is many case is a disease that show up as we get older so there is not way to determine which came first the MCI, or the COPD.

As we read these studies and articles I hope we can pick up facts / tips or findings that will have up sidestep upcoming issues or problems.