People with dementia survive on average four and a half years after diagnosis

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.

Source: British Medical Journal

Researchers Race to Design the First Treatments Specifically for NeuroAIDS
Experimental drugs are showing promise against neuroAIDS, the nerve damage caused by HIV infection that lessens many patients’ ability to think and move. As evidence of the progress, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center today received a $7 million grant to confirm that two new drug classes can protect the brain from HIV-related nerve damage. Driving their approach is the realization that antiviral drugs that work against AIDS do not cure neuroAIDS.
New study proves that pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain causes arthritis
Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. More specifically, the study revealed that pain signals originating in arthritic joints, and the biochemical processing of those signals as they reach the spinal cord, worsen and expand arthritis. In addition, researchers found that nerve pathways carrying pain signals transfer inflammation from arthritic joints to the spine and back again, causing disease at both ends.
A blood marker may indicate Alzheimer’s risk
A simple blood test capable of predicting if a person might develop Alzheimer’s disease is within sight, and could eventually be used to help scientists reverse onset of the disease in those most at risk.
Researchers seeking to identify Alzheimer's risk focus on specific blood biomarker
A simple blood test to detect whether a person might develop Alzheimer's disease is within sight and could eventually help scientists in their quest toward reversing the disease's onset in those likely to develop the debilitating neurological condition.
Cognitive problems associated with diabetes duration and severity
Individuals with mild cognitive impairment appear more likely to have earlier onset, longer duration and greater severity of diabetes, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Neurology.
Signs of Alzheimer's disease may be present decades before diagnosis
Scientists from the University of South Florida and the University of Kentucky report that people who develop Alzheimer's disease may show signs of this illness many decades earlier in life, including compromised educational achievement. Their research appears online this month in the journal Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders.
Thyrotropin levels associated with Alzheimer's disease risk in women
Women with low or high levels of the hormone thyrotropin, which affects thyroid gland function and thyroid hormone levels, appear to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Hypnosis shown to reduce symptoms of dementia
A scientist at the University of Liverpool has found that hypnosis can slow down the impacts of dementia and improve quality of life for those living with the condition.

People with dementia survive on average four and a half years after diagnosis

Related stories:

News discussion: