Clinical characteristics and presenting symptoms of dementia - a case-control study of older ethnic minority patients in a Dutch urban memory clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the suspected higher prevalence of dementia in first generation ethnic minority populations, little is known about their pathway to geriatric diagnostic facilities. This study describes presenting symptoms, demographic and clinical characteristics of a large cohort of patients from ethnic minority populations at their first visit to a geriatric day clinic and compares them with those of native majority (Dutch) patients. METHOD: Retrospective case control study in an urban geriatric day clinic setting. Participants were 415 minority patients (cases) from 47 different countries and 428 native Dutch control patients. Measurements were demographic characteristics, cognitive screening results, informant questionnaires, neuropsychiatric and depressive symptoms and somatic comorbidity. RESULTS: Ethnic minority patients presented with a different profile of psychiatric and somatic comorbidity. They were younger, had longer duration of symptoms and possibly presented somewhat later in the course of the dementia than the controls. Minority patients had more neuropsychiatric and depressive symptoms than native Dutch patients. They also had more often somatic comorbidities than controls, especially diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians in geriatric diagnostic facilities should be aware of the younger age at presentation and the high prevalence of some specific risk factors for dementia in ethnic minority patients.

Risk factors of mortality in older patients with dementia in psychiatric care.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mortality risk, and its risk factors, of older patients with dementia in psychiatric care. METHODS: We constructed a cohort of dementia patients through data linkage of four Dutch registers: the Psychiatric Case Register Middle Netherlands (PCR-MN), the hospital discharge register, the population register, and the national cause of death register. All dementia patients in PCR-MN aged between 60 and 100 years between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 were included. Risk factors of mortality were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression models with adjustment for age, sex, setting of care, nationality, marital status, dementia type, and psychiatric and somatic comorbidities. RESULTS: In total, 4297 patients were included with a median age of 80 years. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year mortality were 16.4%, 44.4%, and 63.5%, respectively. Determinants that increased the 1-year mortality were: male sex (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.49; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.26-1.76), higher age (HR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.07-1.09), inpatient psychiatric care (HR 1.52; 95% CI, 1.19-1.93), more somatic comorbidities (HR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.49-1.87), and cardiovascular disease separately (HR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.30-1.82). Results for 3-year and 5-year mortality were comparable. Living together/married increased the 3- and 5-year mortality, and Dutch nationality increased the 5-year mortality. There were no differences in mortality with different types of psychiatric comorbidity. CONCLUSION: Mortality of dementia patients in psychiatric care was high, much higher than mortality in the general older population. The results of this study should raise awareness about their unfavourable prognosis, particularly older patients, men, inpatients, and patients with more somatic comorbidity.

A prediction model for one- and three-year mortality in dementia: results from a nationwide hospital-based cohort of 50,993 patients in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: to develop a model to predict one- and three-year mortality in patients with dementia attending a hospital, through hospital admission or day/memory clinic. DESIGN: we constructed a cohort of dementia patients through data linkage of three Dutch national registers: the hospital discharge register (HDR), the population register and the national cause of death register. SUBJECTS: patients with dementia in the HDR aged between 60 and 100 years registered between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010. METHODS: logistic regression analysis techniques were used to predict one- and three-year mortality after a first hospitalisation with dementia. The performance was assessed using the c-statistic and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Internal validation was performed using bootstrap resampling. RESULTS: 50,993 patients were included in the cohort. Two models were constructed, which included age, sex, setting of care (hospitalised versus day clinic) and the presence of comorbidity using the Charlson comorbidity index. One model predicted one-year mortality and the other three-year mortality. Model discrimination according to the c-statistic for the models was 0.71 (95% CI 0.71-0.72) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.72-0.73), respectively. CONCLUSION: both models display acceptable ability to predict mortality. An important advantage is that they are easy to apply in daily practise and thus are helpful for individual decision-making regarding diagnostic/therapeutic interventions and advance care planning.

Increased mortality and hospital readmission risk in patients with dementia and a history of cardiovascular disease: Results from a nationwide registry linkage study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on mortality and readmission risk in patients with dementia. METHODS: Prospective hospital-based cohort of 59 194 patients with dementia admitted to hospital or visiting a day-clinic between 2000 and 2010. Patients were divided in those with and without a history of CVD (ie, previous admission for CVD; coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, or other CVD). Absolute mortality risks (ARs), median survival times, and hazard ratios (adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidity) were calculated. RESULTS: Three-year ARs and HRs were higher, and survival times were shorter among patients visiting a day-clinic with a history of CVD than in those without. The differences were less pronounced for inpatients. Readmission risk was further increased in the presence of CVD in both day clinic and inpatients. CONCLUSION: Clinicians need to be more aware of worse prognosis of the population with CVD and dementia.

Decline in mortality in patients with dementia: Results from a nationwide cohort of 44 258 patients in the Netherlands during 2000 to 2008.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether mortality and readmission risk have changed over the last decade. METHODS: Prospective hospital-based cohort of 44 258 patients with dementia admitted to hospital or visiting a day clinic between 2000 and 2008. Absolute risks (ARs) of 1- and 3-year mortality and 1-year hospital readmission were quantified and stratified by type of care (day clinic or inpatient care). Cox models were used to compare hazard ratios (HRs), adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, of death, and readmission across the years using 2000 as the reference group. RESULTS: One-year mortality declined among men visiting a day clinic (AR in 2008 versus 2000: 13.0%, 29.9%; HR 0.41, 95% CI, 0.30-0.55). Among inpatients, these ARs were 48.7%, 53.0% (HR 0.85, 95% CI, 0.77-0.94). Three-year mortality also declined (AR for men visiting a day clinic: 37.5%, 58.4%, HR 0.53, 95% CI, 0.43-0.64; for inpatients: 74.4%, 78.9%, HR 0.80, 95% CI, 0.73-0.88). Whereas 1-year readmission risk decreased among men visiting a day clinic (AR 44.1%, 65.9%, HR 0.52, 95% CI, 0.43-0.63), the risk increased among inpatients (AR 36.9%, 27.6%, HR 1.48, 95% CI, 1.28-1.72). CONCLUSION: One- and 3-year mortality remarkably declined. One-year hospital readmission risk increased among inpatients and decreased among patients visiting a day clinic. The results should raise awareness for the increased survival with dementia, as this has direct consequences for patients and (in)formal caregivers, and probably also for health care costs.

Socioeconomic Disparities and Mortality After a Diagnosis of Dementia: Results From a Nationwide Registry Linkage Study.

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to a higher incidence of dementia. Less is known about the association between SES and mortality in persons with dementia. We studied this association in a prospective cohort of 15,558 patients in the Netherlands between 2000 and 2010. SES was measured using disposable household income and divided in tertiles. Overall, there was a negative relationship between SES and mortality in both sexes and both settings of care. For men who visited a day clinic, the 5-year mortality rate was 74% among those in the lowest tertile of SES and 57% among those in the highest; for women, the rates were 60% and 50%, respectively. The differences in median survival times between persons in the lower and upper tertiles of SES were 260 days for men and 300 days for women. For men who were admitted to the hospital, the 5-year mortality rate was 89% among those in the lowest tertile of SES and 86% among those in the highest; for women, the rates were 83% and 77%, respectively. The differences in median survival times between persons in the lower and upper tertiles of SES were 80 days for men and 130 days for women. Among patients who visited a day clinic, for patients in the lowest tertile of SES versus those in the highest, the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.26, 1.57); for those admitted to the hospital, it was 1.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.20). In summary, lower SES was associated with a higher mortality risk in both men and women with dementia. The results of the present study should raise awareness in clinicians and caregivers about the unfavorable prognosis in the most deprived patients.

[HIV as a new diagnose in older patients]. / Hiv als nieuwe diagnose bij oudere patiënten.

We describe two patients diagnosed with an HIV-1 infection at an older age. In this article we emphasize the importance of knowledge of HIV indicator diseases and keeping a low threshold for HIV-testing.

[Screening of dementia in first generation migrants]. / Screening op dementie bij eerstegeneratiemigranten.

The number of patients with dementia is increasing over time. There is evidence that the prevalence in ethnic minority groups is even higher. Diagnosing dementia in first generation non-western migrants is often difficult due to language and cultural barriers, low education, and illiteracy. In this article we recommend the use of two validated screening tools (the RUDAS, Rowland Universal Dementia assessment scale and the IQCODE, Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the elderly) elucidated by two case descriptions.

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the in-hospital mortality rate, and its risk factors, for patients with dementia admitted to hospital. STUDY DESIGN: We constructed an observational cohort study through data linkage of three Dutch national registers: the hospital discharge register (HDR), the population register (PR) and the national cause of death register. Patients with dementia in the HDR aged between 60 and 100 years registered between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were investigated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models that included sex, age, marital status, ethnicity, somatic comorbidity, type of dementia and urgency of admission. RESULTS: 40,500 patients were included in the cohort. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 11.1%. Factors that significantly increased the mortality risk were: male sex (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95%-confidence interval (95%-CI) 1.43-1.63), higher age (adjusted HR 1.03, 95%-CI 1.03-1.04), living with a partner (adjusted HR 1.39, 95%-CI 1.30-1.49), acute admission (adjusted HR 2.16, 95%-CI 1.97-2.36) and Alzheimer's disease (adjusted HR 1.21, 95%-CI 1.13-1.29). Cardiovascular disease was the most common cause of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study found several independent risk factors for the in-hospital mortality of patients with dementia, including male sex, higher age, living with a partner, acute admission, and Alzheimer's disease. These risk factors should be taken into account by clinicians and caregivers as they will indicate whether patients are at risk of a more unfavourable outcome during hospital admission.

Ethnic Variations in Prognosis of Patients with Dementia: A Prospective Nationwide Registry Linkage Study in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Data on dementia prognosis among ethnic minority groups are limited in Europe. OBJECTIVE: We assessed differences in short-term (1-year) and long-term (3-year) mortality and readmission risk after a first hospitalization or first ever referral to a day clinic for dementia between ethnic minority groups and the ethnic Dutch population in the NetherlandsMethods: Nationwide prospective cohorts of first hospitalized dementia patients (N = 55,827) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010 were constructed. Differences in short-term and long-term mortality and readmission risk following hospitalization or referral to the day clinic between ethnic minority groups (Surinamese, Turkish, Antilleans, Indonesians) and the ethnic Dutch population were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression models with adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Age-sex-adjusted short-term and long-term risks of death following a first hospitalization with dementia were comparable between the ethnic minority groups and the ethnic Dutch. Age- and sex-adjusted risk of admission was higher only in Turkish compared with ethnic Dutch (HR 1.57, 95% CI,1.08-2.29). The difference between Turkish and the Dutch attenuated and was no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for comorbidities. There were no ethnic differences in short-term and long-term risk of death, and risk of readmission among day clinic patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with Dutch patients with a comparable comorbidity rate, ethnic minority patients with dementia did not have a worse prognosis. Given the poor prognosis of dementia, timely and targeted advance care planning is essential, particularly in ethnic minority groups who are mired by cultural barriers and where uptake of advance care planning is known to be low.

Evaluation of Underlying Causes of Death in Patients with Dementia to Support Targeted Advance Care Planning.

BACKGROUND: Insight in causes of death in demented patients may help physicians in end-of-life care. OBJECTIVES: To investigate underlying causes of death (UCD) in demented patients stratified by age, sex, dementia subtype [Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD)] and to compare them with UCD in the general population (GP). METHODS: A nationwide cohort of 59,201 patients with dementia (admitted to a hospital or visiting a day clinic) was constructed [38.7% men, 81.4 years (SD 7.0)] from 2000 through 2010. UCDs were reported and compared to the GP by calculating relative risks (RRs). RESULTS: During follow up [median follow up time 1.3 years (IQR 0.3- 3.0)], 64.2% of women and 69.3% of men died. Leading UCDs were dementia (17.5% in men and 23.7% in women) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (18.7% and 19.2%, respectively). When compared to the GP, dementia was a more common UCD (RR in men 4.65, 95% CI 4.43-4.88), while CVD (RR in men 0.67, 95% CI 0.65-0.68) and cancer (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.39-0.41) were less common. These differences were more pronounced in patients aged between 60-69 as compared to those aged≥90 years. Patients with AD died less often of cerebrovascular diseases as compared to VaD (RR in men 0.53, 95% CI 0.47-0.59). CONCLUSION: UCDs in patients with dementia differs from that of the GP, as dementia is more often and cancer less often an UCD. Although less frequent compared to the GP, CVD also is one of the leading UCDs in patients with dementia. This information is valuable for targeted advance care planning.

Effect of Vascular Risk Factors and Diseases on Mortality in Individuals with Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors on mortality in individuals with dementia. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. English- and Dutch-language studies in PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched in April 2014 with hand-searching of in-text citations and no publication limitations. Inclusion criteria were original studies reporting on cardiovascular risk factors or diseases and their relationship with survival in individuals with dementia. The Quality In Prognosis Studies tool was used to appraise all included articles. SETTING: Population-, hospital-, and nursing home-based. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling, hospitalized individuals and nursing home residents with dementia. MEASUREMENTS: A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to investigate the effect of several cardiovascular diseases and risk factors on overall mortality. RESULTS: Twelve studies with 235,865 participants were included. In pooled analyses, male sex (hazard ratio (HR)=1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.56-1.78), diabetes mellitus (DM) (HR=1.49, 95% CI=1.33-1.68), smoking (ever vs never) (HR=1.37, 95% CI=1.17-1.61), coronary heart disease (CHD) (HR=1.21, 95% CI=1.02-1.44) and congestive heart failure (CHF) (HR=1.37, 95% CI=1.18-1.59) were associated with mortality. Stroke, high blood pressure, being overweight, and hypercholesterolemia were not statistically significantly related to mortality. CONCLUSION: Individuals with dementia and DM, smoking, CHD, and CHF have a greater risk of death than individuals with dementia without these risk factors or diseases.

Prognosis of patients with dementia: results from a prospective nationwide registry linkage study in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To report mortality risks of dementia based on national hospital registry data, and to put these risks into perspective by comparing them with those in the general population and following cardiovascular diseases. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study from 1 January 2000 through 31 December 2010. SETTING: Hospital-based cohort. PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide hospital-based cohort of 59,201 patients with clinical diagnosis of dementia (admitted to a hospital or visiting a day clinic) was constructed (38.7% men, 81.4 years (SD 7.0)). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: 1-year and 5-year age-specific and sex-specific mortality risks were reported for patients with dementia visiting a day clinic compared with the general population; for patients hospitalised with dementia compared with patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure or stroke, these were presented as absolute and relative risks (RRs). RESULTS: 1-year mortality was 38.3% in men and 30.5% in women. 5-year risk was 65.4% and 58.5%, respectively. Mortality risks were significantly higher in patients with dementia admitted to the hospital than in those visiting a day clinic (1-year RR 3.29, 95% CI 3.16 to 3.42; and 5-year RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.76 to 1.83). Compared with the general population, mortality risks were significantly higher among patients visiting a day clinic (1-year RR for women 2.99, 95% CI 2.84 to 3.14; and for men 3.94, 95% CI 3.74 to 4.16). 5-year RRs were somewhat lower, but still significant. Results were more pronounced at younger ages. Mortality risks among admitted patients were comparable or even exceeded those of cardiovascular diseases (1-year RR for women with dementia vs AMI 1.24, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.29; vs heart failure 1.05, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.08; vs stroke 1.07, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.10). 5-year RRs were comparable. For men, RRs were slightly higher. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia has a poor prognosis as compared with other diseases and the general population. The risks among admitted patients even exceeded those following cardiovascular diseases.