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Few studies have evaluated how cognitive impairment affects mortality in primary care settings. In this Indiana study, nearly 4000 adults (age range, 60–102) were classified as having no, mild, or moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment according to a standardized 10-question instrument. Cognition was evaluated between 1991 and 1993; mortality was determined using National Death Index data through 2006.
Overall, 60% of the patients died; 38% died from cardiovascular disease, and 24% from cancer. Median survival was 138 months, 106 months, and 63 months for people with no, mild, or moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, respectively. After adjustment for multiple risk factors, the hazard ratio for death remained elevated for people with mil…