BACKGROUND: 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). AIMS: 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. METHODS: A GP practice sample of 3,327 individuals aged 75+ was assessed by structured clinical interviews. Results: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
