Modifiable Predictors of Conversion to Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment

* Diabetes: increases the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in people with amnestic MCI and that it increases the risk of any-cause dementia in people with any-type or nonamnestic MCI (Grade 2 evidence).

* Hypertension: does not predict conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* Hypercholesterolemia: is not associated with risk of conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* Smoking: is not associated with risk of conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer’s dementia or any-type MCI to all-cause dementia (Grade 1 evidence).

* Heavy Alcohol Use: predicts conversion from any-type MCI to dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* More Depressive Symptoms: predict conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia from epidemiological studies (Grade 1 evidence).

* Presence of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in people with any type MCI predicts conversion to all-cause dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* Anxiety Symptoms: inconsistent evidence in association with conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer’s dementia.

* Apathy: inconsistent evidence in association with risk of conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer’s dementia or from any-type MCI to dementia.

* Mediterranean Diet: associated with decreases risk of conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer’s dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* Lower Folate Serum level: predicts conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia (Grade 2 evidence).

* Homocysteine Serum level: inconsistent evidence.

* Amount of Education: does not predict conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia or from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer’s dementia (Grade 1 evidence).


Source: Am J Psychiatry 172:4, April 2015.