Multimorbidity measures associated with cognitive function among community‐dwelling older Chinese adults

Abstract INTRODUCTION Older adults with multimorbidity are at high risk of cognitive impairment development. There is a lack of research on the associations between different multimorbidity measures and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in the community. METHODS We used the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 2002 to 2018 and included data on dementia‐free participants aged ≥65 years. Multimorbidity measures included condition counts, multimorbidity patterns, and trajectories. The association of multimorbidity measures with cognitive function was examined by generalized estimating equation and linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS Among 14,093 participants at baseline, 43.2% had multimorbidity. Multimorbidity patterns were grouped into cancer‐inflammatory, cardiometabolic, and sensory patterns. Multimorbidity trajectories were classified as “onset‐condition,” “newly developing,” and “severe condition.” The Mini‐Mental State Examination scores were significantly lower for participants with more chronic conditions, with cancer‐inflammatory/cardiometabolic/sensory patterns, and with developing multimorbidity trajectories. DISCUSSION Condition counts, sensory pattern, cardiometabolic pattern, cancer‐inflammatory pattern, and multimorbidity developmental trajectories were prospectively associated with cognitive function. Highlights Elderly individuals with a higher number of chronic conditions were associated with lower MMSE scores in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data. MMSE scores were significantly lower for participants with specific multimorbidity patterns. Individuals with developing trajectories of multimorbidity were associated with lower MMSE scores and a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment.