Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThe strongest risk factors for MCI are:
- Increasing age
- Having a specific form of a gene known as APOE-e4, also linked to Alzheimer's disease — though having the gene doesn't guarantee that you'll experience cognitive decline
Other medical conditions and lifestyle factors have been linked to an increased risk of cognitive change, but the evidence for these risk factors is less clear. These risk factors include:
- Diabetes
- Current smoking
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Elevated cholesterol
- Lack of physical exercise
- Infrequent participation in mentally or socially stimulating activities
References
- McDade EM, et al. Mild cognitive impairment: Epidemiology, pathology, and clinical assessment. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 12, 2012.
- McDade EM, et al. Mild cognitive impairment: Prognosis and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 12, 2012.
- Petersen RC. Mild cognitive impairment. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364:2227.
- Shadlen MF, et al. Evaluation of cognitive impairment and dementia. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 12, 2012.
- Petersen RC, et al. Mild cognitive impairment: Ten years later. Archives of Neurology. 2009;66:1447.
- Preventing Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline. National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference Statement. April 26-28, 2010. http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/docs/alz/ALZ_Final_Statement.pdf. Accessed June 12, 2012.
- Geda YE, et al. Computer activities, physical exercise, aging, and mild cognitive impairment: A population-based study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2012;87:437.
- Press D, et al. Prevention of dementia. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 12, 2012.
- Essentials of a diagnostic work-up. Alzheimer's Association. http://www.alz.org/professionals_and_researchers_14902.asp. June 14, 2012.
- What is sleep apnea? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea. Accessed June 14, 2012.
- Ahlskog JE, et al. Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2011;86:876.
Find Mayo Clinic on