Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased risk of dementia in high-income countries. Given the different etiologic processes and population conditions driving MetS prevalence, it is unclear if MetS and dementia will show similar associations in low- and middle-income settings. METHODS: Mixed effects linear regression models were used to estimate the association between dichotomous MetS status and memory decline for individuals in the South African HAALSA Indepth cohort and by age and sex strata. An interaction term between MetS and time allowed the slope to vary by MetS status. RESULTS: MetS was associated with higher baseline memory scores (β = 0.07 SD units, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.13) and faster memory decline over time (β = -0.01 SD units/year, 95% CI = -0.02, 0.00). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that MetS status could be an important marker for identifying groups at higher risk of dementia in low-resource settings.