BackgroundKnowledge of comorbidities among diverse populations with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important in clinical trials and real-world clinical practice.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities prior to and after diagnosis with MCI/AD in the real world.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used insurance claims and electronic health records from Optum's de-identified Market Clarity Data. MCI, AD, and comorbidities were determined using diagnosis codes and, in some cases, specific medications. Controls were matched 1:1 to individuals with MCI/AD.ResultsAmong individuals with MCI/AD diagnoses (mean ages 66 and 76, respectively), the most prevalent comorbidities prior to and after MCI/AD diagnoses were cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Individuals with MCI had a higher prevalence of stroke before diagnosis compared with controls.ConclusionsAmong all demographic groups, comorbidities are highly prevalent and need recognition when caring for individuals with MCI/AD. This applies to all sex and race/ethnicity stratifications examined in this study, although the frequency of comorbidities experienced by different groups varied.
Vinikoor-Imler et al. (Tue,) studied this question.