Risk and protective factors for cognitive decline in older adults from a nationally representative sample in India: Results from the LASI‐DAD

INTRODUCTION We characterized modifiable risk and protective factors for cognitive decline in India. METHODS Using the first nationally representative population‐based longitudinal sample of N = 6168 older adults in India, we evaluated associations of risk factors (demographic characteristics, self‐reported and objective health characteristics, health behaviors, and sensory function) for late‐life cognitive decline with up to 6.4 years of follow‐up (range: 2.8 to 6.4 years). RESULTS The mean rate of general cognitive decline was −0.029 SD per year and was progressively steeper with age. Most risk factors, particularly demographic and cardiovascular characteristics, were associated with steeper cognitive decline in expected directions: Associations of history of high cholesterol or heart attack on rate of cognitive decline, for example, were comparable to being 8 to 10 years older. DISCUSSION Most risk factors were associated with change in expected directions, highlighting the potential generalizability to India of previously identified risk factors for dementia.