The Hefei Aging Study: a population-based prospective cohort study investigating chronic disease and lifestyle on cognitive impairment in an urban population

Background The global aging population has led to a rise in dementia, posing challenges to medical professionals and society. Chronic disease and lifestyle factors have been associated with dementia risk, but the effect of these factors on the development of dementia remains unclear. This study aims to investigate these risk factors and to establish a prediction model by using heart and brain imaging studies, and blood biomarkers. Methods Residents aged over 50 years and living in four urban communities in Hefei, China were recruited in this study. The participants underwent a series of assessments including face-to-face interviews, clinical examinations, genetic and blood tests, neuropsychological tests, cardiac ultrasound, carotid ultrasound, and brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. Results From January 2019 to July 2021, a total of 730 participants were enrolled in the baseline assessment, with an average age of 61.33 ± 7.01 years and mean scores of 27.09 ± 3.29 and 21.84 ± 5.06 on the MMSE and MOCA, respectively, with a relatively high level of education. The overall prevalence of common chronic diseases was high. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the top two, affecting more men than women. Women had a higher prevalence of angina pectoris, arrhythmias, hyperlipidemia, and stroke. The prevalence of hypertension, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus increased with age. Conclusions Our findings suggest a high prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly urban population and highlight the need for proactive measures to address these issues.