Everbody's Getting Alzheimer's
Nov. 12, 2001 -- Nearly one in four elderly people may suffer from memory loss and mild cognitive impairment, putting them at high risk for dementia.
In the first study of its kind, researchers looked at a large community population for signs of cognitive impairment -- memory loss and difficulty thinking -- that may later develop into dementia. Nearly 2,400 elderly African-American community members and nursing home residents in Indianapolis were involved in the study.
While 23% had mild cognitive impairment, it had not reached dementia and did not affect their ability to function in daily life, says Frederick Unverzagt, PhD, associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
However, just 18 months later, when that group was re-examined, 26% had developed dementia.
"That's a relatively short time," Unverzagt tells WebMD. He adds that being able to identify those most likely to go on to develop mental problems may help get more people into earlier treatment.
His study, published in this month's Neurology, helps paint a more accurate picture of those at risk for developing a debilitating mental condition that concerns millions of aging baby boomers. But it still is too soon to determine just what can be done to stave off impairment.
"At this point, we're just getting a feel for the scope of the problem," he says.
In his two-phase study, Unverzagt first conducted in-home interviews to determine whether each was at high, medium, or low chance of having dementia. In-depth tests were then conducted with the high-risk group, half of the medium-risk, and 5% of the low-risk group. Each was diagnosed with normal cognitive functioning, cognitive impairment, or dementia.
In the in-depth portion of his study, participants -- and a close relative or spouse -- were asked a number of questions to evaluate mental status and ability to function in a whole range of daily chores. Those included the very basics (using the toilet, feeding themselves), mid-level tasks (cooking, running appliances), and higher-level tasks (ability to dispense their own medicine, handle finances, use a checkbook).
These are some of Unverzagt's findings:
In the first study of its kind, researchers looked at a large community population for signs of cognitive impairment -- memory loss and difficulty thinking -- that may later develop into dementia. Nearly 2,400 elderly African-American community members and nursing home residents in Indianapolis were involved in the study.
While 23% had mild cognitive impairment, it had not reached dementia and did not affect their ability to function in daily life, says Frederick Unverzagt, PhD, associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
However, just 18 months later, when that group was re-examined, 26% had developed dementia.
"That's a relatively short time," Unverzagt tells WebMD. He adds that being able to identify those most likely to go on to develop mental problems may help get more people into earlier treatment.
His study, published in this month's Neurology, helps paint a more accurate picture of those at risk for developing a debilitating mental condition that concerns millions of aging baby boomers. But it still is too soon to determine just what can be done to stave off impairment.
"At this point, we're just getting a feel for the scope of the problem," he says.
In his two-phase study, Unverzagt first conducted in-home interviews to determine whether each was at high, medium, or low chance of having dementia. In-depth tests were then conducted with the high-risk group, half of the medium-risk, and 5% of the low-risk group. Each was diagnosed with normal cognitive functioning, cognitive impairment, or dementia.
In the in-depth portion of his study, participants -- and a close relative or spouse -- were asked a number of questions to evaluate mental status and ability to function in a whole range of daily chores. Those included the very basics (using the toilet, feeding themselves), mid-level tasks (cooking, running appliances), and higher-level tasks (ability to dispense their own medicine, handle finances, use a checkbook).
These are some of Unverzagt's findings:
- Cognitive impairment is almost five-times more common than dementia.
- It increases with age: of those aged 65 to 74, 19% were affected. The rate was 29% for those aged 75 to 84, and 38% for those 85 and older.