ABSTRACT
Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is associated with an ongoing decline of memory, judgement, understanding, language and thinking. There is no cure for dementia and symptoms get worse with time. The prevalence of dementia increases with age and is estimated to be approximately 20% at 80 years of age. A cohort study investigating the survival rate of people with dementia concluded that the median survival rate of people diagnosed with dementia at age 60-69 years was 6.7 years, falling to 1.9 years for those diagnosed at 90 years and over. The mortality was highest in the first year after diagnosis, with relative risk of 3.68, dropping to 2.49 in the second year. Its inclusion in the Quality and Outcomes Framework means better education and training of primary care physicians, leading to early diagnosis. Identify and treat the risk factors for dementia such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
