Objective: To analyze cognitive deficit as a risk factor for death in elderly residents in the community and its relationship with variables related to sociodemographic factors, physical health, and functional capacity.
Material and methods: A prospective study was carried out in the city of Santa Cruz, Brazil, in 310 randomly selected elderly individuals who were followed-up for 53 months. Predictive factors were sociodemographic and neuropsychiatric variables, physical health, and functional capacity. The statistical methods used were bivariate analysis (survival analysis), and Cox regression (multivariate analysis) with respective hazard ratios (HR). A value of P<.05 was considered statistically significant and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.
Results: A total of 60 (20.5%) elderly residents died during the study. The main cause of death was cardiovascular disease. The mean time until death was approximately 24.8 months. The main risk factors identified in Cox analysis were cognitive deficit (HR=4.22), stroke (HR=3.08) and dependency for basic activities of daily living (HR=3.55).
Conclusions: Cognitive deficit is an independent risk factor for death. The results of the present study could be useful in formulating future health policies aiming to reduce mortality in the elderly.