Mortality Rates and Risk Factors in Community Based Dementia Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate mortality rates and risk factors in dementia patients in a rural cohort. METHODS: A total of 114 subjects with clinically diagnosed dementia were followed up for eight years from 1997 to 2005. Their mortality was compared with sociodemographic and clinical variables using the Cox proportional hazards models after adjusting age, sex, and education. RESULTS: During follow-up, the mortality rate of subjects was 80.2% and the mean (SD) duration of survival from at diagnosis to death was 4 years. Mortality in subjects with dementia depended on old age (relative risk [RR] 1.05 ; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.08), male (RR 1.61 ; CI 1.00-2.59), low Clinical Dementia Rating scale (RR 1.54 ; CI 1.14-2.10), low Activities of Daily Living (RR 0.72 ; CI 0.59-0.89), low Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (RR 0.83 ; CI 0.75-0.92), no physical activity (RR 0.44 ; CI 0.28-0.70), smoking (RR 1.74 ; CI 1.05-2.89). CONCLUSION: Mortality in dementia depended on age, sex, CDR, ADL, IADL, physical activity, smoking. These findings have important implications that contribute to make the disease management of dementia patients.