Estimating the Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Its Associated Factors in Albania: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Cognitive impairment is an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia, and its detection in the early stages is essential to prevent dementia, an incurable pathology. The aim of this study is to screen and estimate the prevalence of cognitive impairment, including dementia, and its correlated factors in a community-based sample of the Albanian population over 50 years old.

Methods: We carried out a door-to-door neuropsychological screening of Albanian residents older than 50 years from November 2023 to June 2024 in 12 Albanian districts. Participants completed the Early Dementia Questionnaire (EDQ) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Results: The overall estimating prevalence of cognitive impairment and early dementia among the Albanian population over 50 years old was 14.04% using the MMSE, with 2.31% for MMSE ≤18 (serious cognitive impairment), 5.51% for MMSE 19-22 (mild cognitive impairment (MCI)), and 6.22 for MMSE 23-24 (suspected cognitive impairment or dementia),respectively. The prevalence of early dementia using the EDQ was significantly higher (53.99%).The number of male participants with MMSE scores of 23-24 (suspected cognitive impairment or early dementia) was 2.5 times higher with respect to female participants. Smoking and alcohol consumption decreased the MMSE scores. The number of participants with normal cognitive function (MMSE scores 25-30) was lower among participants with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cerebral ischemia.

Conclusions: A diagnostic evaluation, including a clinical examination, neuroimaging, and laboratory studies, is further required for a diagnosis. Despite limitations, the data provided in this study are the only ones reported for a large community-based sample of the older adult Albanian population, which can help health care providers to diagnose cognitive impairment.