Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pavlik, V. N.
Right arrow Articles by Hyman, D. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pavlik, V. N.
Right arrow Articles by Hyman, D. J.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Am J Epidemiol 2003; 157:327-334.
Copyright © 2003 by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health


ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Relation between Cognitive Function and Mortality in Middle-aged Adults

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Valory N. Pavlik1,, Suzana Alves de Moraes2, Moyses Szklo2, David S. Knopman3, Thomas H. Mosley Jr.4 and David J. Hyman5

1 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
2 Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
3 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
4 School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
5 Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

An independent, inverse association between cognitive function and all-cause mortality has been reported in elderly cohorts. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the same association exists in middle-aged persons. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study is a cohort study initiated in 1987 to investigate the development of atherosclerosis in middle-aged persons. Three cognitive function measures were included in the second cohort examination conducted from 1990 to 1992 when the participants were aged 48–67 years: the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWRT), the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) (a subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised), and the Word Fluency Test from the Multilingual Aphasia Examination. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to determine whether all-cause mortality ascertained through 1997 was associated with each measure after adjustment for sociodemographic, biologic, psychologic, and behavioral risk factors. Without adjustment, there was a significantly lower mortality hazard associated with higher scores on all three measures. After covariate adjustment, the hazard ratios for the DWRT and the DSST remained significant (hazard ratio1-point DWRT score increment = 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.84, 0.97; hazard ratio7-point DSST score increment = 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 0.93). Cognitive function measured in middle age appears to have prognostic importance for life expectancy similar to that reported in elderly adults.

cognition; cohort studies; mortality; risk factors

Abbreviations: Abbreviations: ARIC, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities; DSST, Digit Symbol Substitution Test; DWRT, Delayed Word Recall Test; WFT, Word Fluency Test.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
PediatricsHome page
M. S. Wolf, E. A.H. Wilson, D. N. Rapp, K. R. Waite, M. V. Bocchini, T. C. Davis, and R. E. Rudd
Literacy and Learning in Health Care
Pediatrics, November 1, 2009; 124(Supplement_3): S275 - S281.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
M. Virtanen, A. Singh-Manoux, J. E. Ferrie, D. Gimeno, M. G. Marmot, M. Elovainio, M. Jokela, J. Vahtera, and M. Kivimaki
Long Working Hours and Cognitive Function: The Whitehall II Study
Am. J. Epidemiol., March 1, 2009; 169(5): 596 - 605.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Psychosom. Med.Home page
P. A. Hall, J. A. Dubin, M. Crossley, M. E. Holmqvist, and C. D'Arcy
Does Executive Function Explain the IQ-Mortality Association? Evidence from the Canadian Study on Health and Aging
Psychosom Med, February 1, 2009; 71(2): 196 - 204.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
HeartHome page
G D Batty, M J Shipley, C R Gale, L H Mortensen, and I J Deary
Does IQ predict total and cardiovascular disease mortality as strongly as other risk factors? Comparison of effect estimates using the Vietnam Experience Study
Heart, December 1, 2008; 94(12): 1541 - 1544.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Journal of Health and Social BehaviorHome page
B. G. Link, J. C. Phelan, R. Miech, and E. L. Westin
The Resources That Matter: Fundamental Social Causes of Health Disparities and the Challenge of Intelligence
Journal of Health and Social Behavior, March 1, 2008; 49(1): 72 - 91.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
BMJHome page
G D. Batty, G. Der, S. Macintyre, and I. J Deary
Does IQ explain socioeconomic inequalities in health? Evidence from a population based cohort study in the west of Scotland
BMJ, March 11, 2006; 332(7541): 580 - 584.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Psychosom. Med.Home page
B. A. Shipley, G. Der, M. D. Taylor, and I. J. Deary
Cognition and All-Cause Mortality Across the Entire Adult Age Range: Health and Lifestyle Survey
Psychosom Med, January 1, 2006; 68(1): 17 - 24.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NeurologyHome page
N. Schupf, M-X Tang, S. M. Albert, R. Costa, H. Andrews, J. H. Lee, and R. Mayeux
Decline in cognitive and functional skills increases mortality risk in nondemented elderly
Neurology, October 25, 2005; 65(8): 1218 - 1226.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
A. Singh-Manoux, J. E. Ferrie, J. W. Lynch, and M. Marmot
The Role of Cognitive Ability (Intelligence) in Explaining the Association between Socioeconomic Position and Health: Evidence from the Whitehall II Prospective Cohort Study
Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2005; 161(9): 831 - 839.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NeurologyHome page
D. Gaist, L. Pedersen, C. Madsen, I. Tsiropoulos, S. Bak, S. Sindrup, M. McGue, B. K. Rasmussen, and K. Christensen
Long-term effects of migraine on cognitive function: A population-based study of Danish twins
Neurology, February 22, 2005; 64(4): 600 - 607.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Evid. Based Nurs.Home page
OTHER ARTICLES NOTED (24 Jan 03 to 18 Apr 03)
Evid. Based Nurs., July 1, 2003; 6(3): e1 - 12.
[Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.