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The relationship between skeletal muscle and cognitive disorders has drawn increasing attention. This study aims to examine the associations of sarcopenia with cognitive function and dementia risk score. Data on 1978 participants (aged 65 years and older) from the 2011 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, with four follow-up waves to 2018, were used. Cognitive function was assessed by four dimensions, with a lower score indicating lower cognitive function. Dementia risk was assessed by a risk score using the Rotterdam Study Basic Dementia Risk Model (BDRM), with a higher score indicating a greater risk. Sarcopenia was defined when low muscle mass plus low muscle strength or low physical performance were met. We used generalized estimating equations to examine the associations of sarcopenia. In the fully adjusted models, sarcopenia was significantly associated with lower cognitive function (standardized, β = −0.15; 95% CIs: −0.26, −0.04) and a higher BDRM score (standardized, β = 0.42; 95% CIs: 0.29, 0.55). Our findings may provide a new avenue for alleviating the burden of cognitive disorders by preventing sarcopenia.

Objectives: It remains unknown whether household air pollution is associated with dementia risk. This study examined the associations between solid fuel use for cooking and heating (the main source of household air pollution) and dementia risk. Methods: This analysis included data on 11,352 participants (aged 45+ years) from the 2011 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, with follow-up to 2018. Dementia risk was assessed by a risk score using the Rotterdam Study Basic Dementia Risk Model (BDRM) and then standardized for analysis. Household fuel types of cooking and heating were categorized as solid (e.g., coal, crop residue) and clean (e.g., central heating, solar). Multivariable analyses were performed using generalized estimating equations. Moreover, we examined the joint associations of solid fuel use for cooking and heating with the BDRM score. Results: We found an independent and significant association of solid (vs. clean) fuel use for cooking and heating with a higher BDRM score after adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., β = 0.14 for solid fuel for cooking; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.17). Participants who used solid (vs. clean) fuel for both cooking and heating had the highest BDRM score (β = 0.20; 95%CI: 0.16, 0.23). Subgroup analysis suggested stronger associations in participants living in rural areas. Conclusions: Solid fuel use for cooking and heating was independently associated with increased dementia risk in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, particularly among those living in rural areas. Our findings call for more efforts to facilitate universal access to clean energy for dementia prevention.