Mild cognitive impairment in general practice: age-specific prevalence and correlate results from the German study on ageing, cognition and dementia in primary care patients (AgeCoDe).

Although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a high-risk factor for developing dementia, little is known about the prevalence of MCI among patients of general practitioners (GPs). Estimation of age-specific prevalence for original and modified concepts of MCI and their association with sociodemographic, medical and genetic (apoE epsilon4 genotype) factors among patients of GPs. A GP practice sample of 3,327 individuals aged 75+ was assessed by structured clinical interviews. Prevalence was 15.4% (95% CI = 14.1-16.6) for original and 25.2% (95% CI = 23.7-26.7) for modified MCI. Rates increased significantly with older age. Positive associations were found for apoE epsilon4 allele, vascular diseases and depressive symptoms. MCI is frequent in elderly patients of GPs. GPs have a key position in secondary prevention and care of incipient cognitive deterioration up to the diagnosis of dementia.