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People with dementia survive on average 4 and a half years after diagnosis
January 11, 2008Survival times in people with dementia: analysis from population-based cohort study with 14-year follow-up
People with dementia survive an average of four and a half years after diagnosis, with age, sex, and existing disability all having an influence on life expectancy, finds a study published on bmj.com today.
The authors hope that these estimates will be of value to patients, carers, service providers, and policy-makers.
The number of people affected by dementia is estimated to double every 20 years to 81 million by 2040. Dementia is known to be associated with increased risk of death, but no estimate exists for actual survival with dementia in England and Wales. There is also considerable uncertainty about what influences survival.
So researchers set out to describe overall survival for people with dementia and to examine the association between factors which could affect survival.
The study involved over 13,000 individuals aged 65 years and above who were taking part in a population based study in England and Wales. Participants were assessed for dementia at regular intervals over a 14-year period 1991 to 2005.
Factors known to have an association with mortality, such as age, sex and marital status, accommodation type, education level, social class, self-reported health and disability were also recorded.
438 individuals developed dementia over the study period, of which 356 (81%) died.
Age, sex, and disability before onset all influenced survival independently.
There was nearly seven years difference in survival between the youngest and the oldest people with dementia (10.7 years for those aged 65-69 and 3.8 years for those aged 90 or over).
Average survival time from dementia onset to death was 4.1 years for men and 4.6 years for women.
There was around a three year reduction in survival between the most and least disabled at onset, suggesting that the frailer individuals are at higher risk, even after age is taken into account.
However, living in the community or residential home, marital status, and self-reported health were not associated with survival once other factors were taken into account.
Those with higher education had slightly shorter survival than those with lower education, but this did not reach statistical significance. Social class also showed no pattern
Knowing which factors influence the length of survival after onset of dementia is important, say the authors. These findings will be of value to patients, carers, service providers and policy-makers.
An accompanying editorial urges doctors to pay as much attention to strengths and retained abilities as they do deficits, dysfunction and disease when planning care and support for people with dementia.
BMJ-British Medical Journal
The number of people affected by dementia is estimated to double every 20 years to 81 million by 2040. Dementia is known to be associated with increased risk of death, but no estimate exists for actual survival with dementia in England and Wales. There is also considerable uncertainty about what influences survival.
So researchers set out to describe overall survival for people with dementia and to examine the association between factors which could affect survival.
The study involved over 13,000 individuals aged 65 years and above who were taking part in a population based study in England and Wales. Participants were assessed for dementia at regular intervals over a 14-year period 1991 to 2005.
Factors known to have an association with mortality, such as age, sex and marital status, accommodation type, education level, social class, self-reported health and disability were also recorded.
438 individuals developed dementia over the study period, of which 356 (81%) died.
Age, sex, and disability before onset all influenced survival independently.
There was nearly seven years difference in survival between the youngest and the oldest people with dementia (10.7 years for those aged 65-69 and 3.8 years for those aged 90 or over).
Average survival time from dementia onset to death was 4.1 years for men and 4.6 years for women.
There was around a three year reduction in survival between the most and least disabled at onset, suggesting that the frailer individuals are at higher risk, even after age is taken into account.
However, living in the community or residential home, marital status, and self-reported health were not associated with survival once other factors were taken into account.
Those with higher education had slightly shorter survival than those with lower education, but this did not reach statistical significance. Social class also showed no pattern
Knowing which factors influence the length of survival after onset of dementia is important, say the authors. These findings will be of value to patients, carers, service providers and policy-makers.
An accompanying editorial urges doctors to pay as much attention to strengths and retained abilities as they do deficits, dysfunction and disease when planning care and support for people with dementia.
BMJ-British Medical Journal
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Brain injured athletes may benefit from hypothermia research
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Neuroimaging provides insights into new treatment options for Alzheimer's disease
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Reduced muscle strength associated with risk for Alzheimer's
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Amyloid beta protein gets bum rap
While too much amyloid beta protein in the brain is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, not enough of the protein in healthy brains can cause learning problems and forgetfulness, Saint Louis University scientists have found.
Blood test identifies women at risk from Alzheimer's
Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Estrogen therapy likely must be given soon after menopause to provide stroke protection
For estrogen replacement to provide stroke protection, it likely must be given soon after levels drop because of menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, scientists report in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Biofield therapies: helpful or full of hype?
Biofield therapies, which claim to use subtle energy to stimulate the body's healing process, are promising complementary interventions for reducing the intensity of pain in a number of conditions, reducing anxiety for hospitalized patients and reducing agitated behaviors in dementia, over and above what standard treatments can achieve.
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