Differential association of seven adiposity parameters with cognitive impairment in the elderly

Background Over the past few years, several studies have indicated that overweight may contribute to the decline in cognitive function. This study aimed to evaluate how seven adiposity parameters are associated with cognitive impairment in older adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we included data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011–2014. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the relations between cognitive impairment and various parameters, including body mass index (BMI), arm circumference (AC), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body roundness index (BRI), weight-adjusted waist (WWI), and a body shape index (ABSI). The best predictor of cognitive impairment was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The final study included 2,909 participants, with 726 diagnosed with cognitive impairment. We found that WWI and ABSI were significantly positively related to cognitive impairment (RR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.50–2.07; RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), while AC was significantly negatively correlated with cognitive impairment (RR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98). ROC curve results showed that ABSI was the best predictor of cognitive impairment. Conclusions These results suggest that in clinical practice and public health settings, ABSI and WWI can be used as valid indicators to assess cognitive impairment.