Diagnosed with dementia? Study explains how many years one lives after that

The study observed that age and type of dementia play significant roles in determining life expectancy.

Every time someone is diagnosed with dementia, they are filled with questions on their survival and how much more time they are left. Usually, it is a difficult question to face for healthcare professionals. However, a recent study led by Chiara C. Brück, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre provides estimates on life expectancy after being diagnosed with dementia.

The study provides estimates on life expectancy after being diagnosed with dementia. (Photo by Pixabay)

Findings of the study:

The study published in the BMJ analysed 261 studies involving over 5.5 million people with dementia. The researchers observed that the age of the patient has a significant role to play in life expectancy of them after being diagnosed with dementia. It was observed that when women at the age of 60 were diagnosed with dementia, they had an average of 8.9 years, while those diagnosed at 85 could expect to live about 4.5 years. Men showed shorter survival times overall, ranging from 5.7 years when diagnosed at age 65 to 2.2 years at age 85.

Dementia;s life expectancy and the age factor:

Dementia at an earlier age was observed to cut down more life duration from the affected person. The study observed that when diagnosed with dementia at the age of 65, a person’s 13 years of life was cut, but when diagnosed at the age of 85, their life expectancy was cut down by only two years.

Age and type of dementia play significant roles in determining how long a patient will live. (Photo by Pixabay)

Type of dementia and life expectancy:

The type of dementia one if affected with also decides the life expectancy of the person. The study observed that people affected with Alzheimer’s disease lived 1.4 years longer than others who are affected with other forms of dementia like vascular dementia or Lewy body dementia.

“About one third of remaining life expectancy was lived in nursing homes, with more than half of people moving to a nursing home within five years after a dementia diagnosis. Prognosis after a dementia diagnosis is highly dependent on personal and clinical characteristics, offering potential for individualised prognostic information and care planning,” read an excerpt of the study.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.