Cognitive Impairment, Chronic Disease Burden, and Functional Disability: A Population Study of Older Italians

Cognitive impairment assessed by the Mini-Cog is a more powerful predictor of impaired ADLs than disease burden in older adults. The association of education with Mini-Cog score did not bias its ability to predict functional status. Results suggest that the Mini-Cog could be useful in assessing older population assistance needs.