Risk factors for mild cognitive impairment among Mexican Americans

Abstract Background Although a great deal of literature has focused on risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), little published work examines risk for MCI among Mexican Americans. Methods Data from 1628 participants (non-Hispanic n = 1002; Mexican American n = 626) were analyzed from two ongoing studies of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease, Project FRONTIER (Facing Rural Obstacles to health Now Through Intervention, Education & Research) and TARCC (Texas Alzheimer's Research & Care Consortium). Results When looking at the full cohorts (non-Hispanic and Mexican American), age, education, Apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) ε4 status and gender were consistently related to MCI diagnosis across the two cohorts. However, when split by ethnicity, advancing age was the only significant risk factor for MCI among Mexican Americans across both cohorts. Conclusions The current data suggest that many of the previously established risk factors for MCI among non-Hispanic cohorts may not be predictive of MCI among Mexican Americans and point to the need for additional work aimed at understanding factors related to cognitive aging among this underserved segment of the population.