Analysis of factors affecting subjective cognitive decline in elderly hypertensive patients and the construction of a risk prediction model

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is more prevalent in the elderly Chinese population, and individuals with hypertension are at greater risk for cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors affecting SCD in elderly hypertensive patients and to develop a risk prediction model. This was a cross-sectional study of 1098 elderly hypertensive patients in a tertiary care hospital. The prevalence of SCD in elderly hypertensive patients was 45.2 %. Education level, exercise, disease duration, blood pressure grade, depression, nutrition, debility, and sleep disorders were influential factors. A prediction model was constructed using these factors. The internal validation AUROC is 0.877 and the external validation AUROC is 0.813. Calibration curves and DCA curves indicated that the prediction model was well fitted. The predictive model constructed in this study may be useful for clinical screening and the development of targeted intervention programs.