Psychogeriatric Unit

1 BACKGROUND Cognitive decline spans a continuum from normal aging to pathological conditions such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.1, 2 It represents a growing global health concern with far-reaching consequences for individuals, caregivers, and healthcare systems.3 Its etiology is multifactorial, involving complex interactions among vascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory pathways and the so-called “hallmarks of aging” (e.g., proteostasis, oxidative stress,...

ADL activities of daily living BMI body mass index CHARLS China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study CI confidence interval CKB China Kadoorie Biobank COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease HDL-C high-density lipoprotein cholesterol HICs high-income countries HIV human immunodeficiency virus HR hazard ratio IADL instrumental activities of daily living JIN Jiangsu Nutrition Study LMICs low- and middle-income countries mg/dL milligrams per deciliter MHCs mental health conditions MI...

While endogeneity cannot be confidently excluded as an explanation for the findings, this study indicates that older people’s needs for care have a discernable impact on household economics, controlling for baseline indicators of long-term economic status. Although living, typically, in multigenerational family units, older people have not featured prominently in global health and development agendas.