Severity of cognitive impairment at initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease was the strongest predictor of survival
Q What is the course of disease (specifically life expectancy) after an initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in community dwelling patients? Which variables are associated with survival?
METHODS
Design:
inception cohort with mean follow up of 5.2 years (range 0.2–14 y).
Setting:
a health maintenance organisation in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Patients:
521 patients who were >60 years of age (65% women, 89% white) and newly diagnosed with possible or probable AD based on criteria of DSM-III-R (dementia) and National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association (probable or possible AD).
Prognostic factors:
baseline severity of AD (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score and Dementia Rating Scale score [DRS]); psychiatric symptoms of paranoia …
