People With Dementia Have Shortened Life Expectancies
People with and other forms of live, on average, about four and a half years after their condition is diagnosed. This is based mainly on people in their 80s and 90s who have recently developed Alzheimers. In general, people with Alzheimers have about one-half the life expectancy, after , than people who do not have Alzheimers. The present findings are from a large collaborative study group in the United Kingdom. The findings appeared in the British Medical Journal.
The findings may help those who care for a loved one with Alzheimers disease to better plan for the future. The results highlight that dementia is a chronic condition, and that people with Alzheimers will likely need care for a number of years after their diagnosis. At the same time, the average survival time is under five years, with wide variations depending on age and physical condition at the time of diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge followed more than 13,000 men and women, aged 65 and up, for 14 years. During that time, 438 of the study participants developed Alzheimers disease or , and more than 80 percent of those with dementia died.
The median age at death was 90 for women and 87 for men. Average survival times varied widely, however, depending on the age at diagnosis. Those who were diagnosed at a younger age, from 65 to 69, lived an average of 10.7 years after diagnsosis. Those diagnosed in their 90s, on the other hand, lived an average of 3.8 years.
A Growing Problem
How Might Dementia Affect People Towards The End Of Life
Dementia is progressive, which means it gets worse over time. In the last year of life, its likely to have a big impact on the persons abilities including memory, communication and everyday activities. The speed at which someone will get worse will depend on the type of dementia they have and who they are as an individual.;
The symptoms of later stage dementia include the following:
A person with later stage dementia often deteriorates slowly over many months. They gradually become more frail, and will need more help with everyday activities such as eating, dressing, washing and using the toilet. People may experience weight loss, as swallowing and chewing become more difficult.;
A person with later-stage dementia may also have symptoms that suggest they are close to death, but continue to live with these symptoms for many months. This can make it difficult for the person and their family to plan for the end of life. It also makes it difficult for those supporting them professionally.;
For more information on supporting someone with later stage dementia see Alzheimers Society factsheet, The later stages of dementia ;.
Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia Life Expectancy
Researchers in 2016 estimated that there were 43.8 million people in the world with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia27 million women and 16.8 million men. These numbers are growing rapidly. In fact, it’s expected to more than double to 100 million by 2050. Here’s what you should know about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia life expectancy.
Recommended Reading: Which Of The Following Symptoms Is Suggestive Of Alzheimer Disease
How Do You Know What Stage Of Alzheimer’s Disease A Loved One Is In
The stages of Alzheimers disease presented in this post offer a reasonable framework from which to observe symptoms and understand the progression of the disease. Since there is no medical consensus for Alzheimers stages, as there is with cancer, it is important for caregivers to be aware of the individual symptoms and situation that their patient or loved one is experiencing. While healthcare providers may refer to a patients condition as late or early stage, any specific stage is less important than the context and understanding of what this means for care going forward.
What Are The Seven Stages Of Dementia
Dementia is a general term used for progressive mental or cognitive decline that has affected 47 million people globally; by 2050, this number is expected to increase to an estimated 131 million people.
Out of the various diseases that have dementia as one of their characteristics, Alzheimers disease is the most common. The progression of dementia has been divided into seven stages as per the Global Deterioration Scale of primary degenerative dementia prepared by Dr. Riesberg and his team.
Stage 1
The imaging techniques such as computed tomography scan of the brain might show some changes but the patient does not exhibit any of the cognitive signs and symptoms.;
Stage 2
- The patient starts forgetting words or misplacing objects; this may go unnoticed by people around them.;
- It should be remembered that this stage might also occur due to the normal aging process.
Stage 3
- The patient suffers from short-term memory lossforgetting what they just read and the names of new acquaintances.;
- They cant make plans or organize things as earlier.
- They might frequently start misplacing and losing things.
Stage 4
Stage 5
- The patient experiences major memory disturbances such as forgetting their phone number and address.;
- They may forget how to bath and face trouble while choosing and wearing clothes.
Stage 6 :;
Stage 7 :;
Recommended Reading: What Is A Memory Test For Dementia
Average Dementia Survival: 45 Years
Study of Dementia Patients Shows Women Live Slightly Longer Than Men
Jan. 10, 2008 — The average survival time for people diagnosed with dementia is about four and a half years, new research shows. Those diagnosed before age 70 typically live for a decade or longer.
In an effort to learn more about survival characteristics among patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, researchers from the U.K.’s University of Cambridge followed 13,000 people who were aged 65 and older for 14 years.
During the follow-up, 438 of the study participants developed dementia and 356 of these people died.
Overall, women lived slightly longer than men after a diagnosis of dementia — around 4.6 years vs. 4.1 years. And frailer patients died sooner than healthier ones.
But being married, living at home, and even degree of mental decline were not found to have a big impact on survival.
The research is published in the Jan. 11 issue of the journal BMJ Online First.
“When we took everything into account, the big predictors of how long people survive remain sex, age, and functional ability,” University of Cambridge professor of epidemiology Carol Brayne tells WebMD. “Functional ability was a much better marker of how close someone was to death than cognitive decline.”
What Is The Average Life Expectancy
Life expectancy varies for each person with AD. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is eight to 10 years. In some cases, however, it can be as short as three years or as long as 20 years.
AD can go undiagnosed for several years, too. In fact, the average length of time between when symptoms begin and when an AD diagnosis is made is 2.8 years.
Don’t Miss: Is There A Treatment For Alzheimer’s
How To Get A Better Idea Of Life Expectancy For Your Individual Situation
Whilst every person is different, and every dementia journey is different, if you want more clarity about how long you, or your loved one might live, studies suggest that the main factors to consider are:
1. Age 2. General health when diagnosed .3. Which form of dementia they have .4. How much they can still do for themselves day to day. Experts call this functional ability, and it seems to matter more than cognitive ability. In other words, people who continue to try doing things for themselves, even if their dementia is quite advanced, tend to live longer than those who stop.
*Other factors, such as whether you are married, living at home or your level of education dont seem to have an impact.
Time From Diagnosis To Institutionalization And Death In People With Dementia
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Correspondence
Karlijn J. Joling, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands.
Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Correspondence
Karlijn J. Joling, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands.
Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Don’t Miss: What Is The 7th Stage Of Alzheimer’s
How Long Will A Person With Dementia Live For
Whatever type of dementia a person has, their life expectancy is on average lower. This is why dementia is called a life-limiting condition. This can be very upsetting to think about.
However, its important to remember that, no matter how a persons dementia changes over time, there are ways to live well with the condition.
Good support can make a huge difference to the persons quality of life at all stages of dementia.
How long a person lives with dementia varies greatly from person to person. It depends on many factors, such as the ones listed on The progression and stages of dementia page.
Other factors include:
- how far dementia had progressed when the person was diagnosed
- what other serious health conditions the person with dementia has such as diabetes, cancer, or heart problems ;
- how old the person was when their symptoms started older people are more likely than younger people to have other health conditions that may lower their life expectancy. A person in their 90s who is diagnosed with dementia is more likely to die from other health problems before they reach the later stages;than is a person diagnosed in their 70s.
Treatments For Vascular Dementia
There’s currently;no cure for vascular dementia and there’s no way to reverse any loss of brain cells that happened before;the condition;was diagnosed.
But treatment can sometimes help slow down vascular dementia.
Treatment aims to tackle the underlying cause, which;may reduce the speed at which brain cells are lost.
This will often involve:
- taking medicines, such as those used to treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol;or prevent;blood clots
Other treatments,;including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dementia activities and;psychological therapies,;can;help reduce the impact of any existing problems.
You May Like: What Diseases Are Similar To Alzheimer’s
Care In The Later Stages Of Dementia
There are medicines used in the early stages of dementia that manage some of the behavioural symptoms. In the later stages some of these medicines can do more harm than good causing severe side effects that can increase confusion and frailty. It also becomes harder to diagnose and manage some of the normal illnesses that older people get such as Urinary Tract Infections . UTIs can exaggerate some symptoms of dementia and increase confusion sometimes know as delirium.;
Pain is also something that can be present in the later stages of dementia, but can be harder to diagnose if the person isnt able to communicate it. For all of these reasons, its important to stay vigilant when looking after someone with dementia, and to talk to the GP if you are worried about anything.;
There are dementia living aids and products that can help you to care for someone living with dementia. Something like a simple dementia clock or personal alarm can make the world of difference to your life and the live of the person you care for.;
Whats The Life Expectancy For Someone With Dementia
Each person will have an individual experience of dementia. The speed and pattern of progression of the disease can differ-but the condition is progressive and will get worse over time. Sadly, dementia will limit the life expectancy of the person affected; the condition has now overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
You May Like: How To Treat Alzheimer’s And Dementia Naturally
Main Findings And Interpretation
This study is one of the largest that examined the trajectories of persons with dementia in linked routine nationally representative administrative databases. Until now, reliable estimates from high-quality studies are scarce, but are important to help to inform patients and their families about probable care trajectories and policymakers to optimize the allocation of resources.
What Is Frontal Lobe Dementia
The frontal lobes of the brain are located as the name suggests at the front of the brain.; Loosely speaking, it contains what we call the higher functions of the brain. These are the areas of the brain responsible for emotions, understanding, speech; some types of movement, planning and judgement in other words the things which make you a person, and personality.; Like all dementias the people who develop symptoms face a slow loss of self and those who care for them, losing the person they care for by slow degrees.
Frontal lobe dementia is also known as frontotemporal dementia , or frontotemporal degeneration, it is an overarching term for several categories of a loss of brain function. The changes to the brain are caused by an abnormal build-up of tau proteins, which stop the brain cells from functioning properly, so they die. In frontal lobe dementia parts of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are damaged. It was previously known as Picks disease after the doctor Arnold Pick who identified and first documented the symptoms in a patient over a hundred years ago in 1892.
Unlike the most widely diagnosed form of dementia, Alzheimers disease, frontal lobe dementia occurs at a much younger age and is partly genetic. That means while there is no certainty that if you have had a close blood relative with FLD you will get it too, your chances of developing it are much higher than for other members of the population.
Don’t Miss: Is Dementia Related To Alzheimer’s
Life Expectancy After An Alzheimers Disease Diagnosis
The most honest answer to Genevieves question may be, It depends. After a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease or another dementia, people can live for months to years, depending on individual circumstances. Its been shown that factors like age, race, genetics, health background, socioeconomic status, and education influence the life expectancy of large numbers of people with Alzheimers.; However, every individuals disease is different, and may not follow the average course.
Dementia is one of the top causes of death in the United States, and the events leading to death in a person with dementia such as complications related to an infection after aspiration, or falling are not always directly linked to the disease. In order to provide a more useful answer, I want to write about life expectancy in general and then Ill list some of the factors that help us think about survival. Again, while these may influence life expectancy with Alzheimer’s in general, individuals sometimes depart from statistics and have a different disease course.
For anyone with dementia, there is a period of survival with the disease, and this can be a challenging and complicated time for caregivers, a time during which family members need to work together, plan for the future, and cope with an increasingly difficult set of circumstances.
Two Of The Following Are Present :
- Fluctuating cognition: Mental problems varying during the day, especially attention and alertness.;
- Visual hallucinations: Detailed and well-formed visions, which occur and recur.;
- RBD: Physically acting out dreams while asleep.
A DLB diagnosis is even more likely if the individual also experiences any of the following: repeated falls, fainting, brief loss of consciousness, delusions, apathy, anxiety, problems with temperature and blood pressure regulation, urinary incontinence, and chronic constipation, loss of smell, or sensitivity to neuroleptic medications that are given to control hallucinations and other psychiatric symptoms.
Finally, the timing of symptoms is a reliable clue:;if cognitive symptoms appear before or within a year of motor symptoms, DLB is more likely the cause than Parkinsonâs disease. Signs of stroke or vascular dementia usually negate the likelihood of DLB.
Testing is usually done to rule out other possible causes of dementia, motor, or behavioral symptoms. Brain imaging can detect brain shrinkage and help rule out stroke, fluid on the brain , or subdural hematoma. Blood and other tests might show vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, syphilis, HIV, or vascular disease. Depression is also a common cause of dementia-like symptoms. Additional tests can include an electroencephalogram or spinal tap .
Read Also: How To Treat Agitation In Dementia Patients
What Are The Symptoms
Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way. The different types of dementia tend to affect people differently, especially in the early stages.
A person with dementia will often have cognitive symptoms . They will often have problems with some of the following:
- Day-to-day;memory; difficulty recalling events that happened recently.
- Repetition; repeating the same question or conversation frequently in; a short space of time.
- Concentrating, planning or organising; difficulties making decisions, solving problems or carrying out a sequence of tasks .
- Language; difficulties following a conversation or finding the right word for something.
- Visuospatial skills – problems judging distances and seeing objects in three dimensions.
- Orientation – losing track of the day or date, or becoming confused about where they are.
Some people have other symptoms including movement problems, hallucinations or behaviour changes.