Early-onset dementia.

Objective To compare mortality risks of patients with early-and late-onset dementia with non-demented controls of the same age range, and to analyse mortality risks in subtypes of dementia. Methods We included 1203 subjects from our memory clinic. Patients with dementia were subdivided into two groups, with early (< 65 years) or late-onset dementia (≥ 65 years), and compared with non-demented controls of the same age range. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate mortality risks. Results When compared to non-demented controls of the same age range, patients with early-onset dementia had a strongly elevated mortality risk (Hazard Ratio (95% Confidence interval), HR= 43.3 (3.1 – 600.4)), while patients with late-onset dementia had a moderately increased mortality risk compared to older controls (HR (95% CI) = 3.4 (1.8 – 6.2)). An additional analysis showed that, adjusted for age, AD seemed to have the most benign course, with a fourfold increased mortality risk. DLB and VaD (frequently seen at older age) and FTLD and 'other dementia's' (frequently seen at younger age) had a six-to eightfold increased mortality risk. Conclusion Dementia is a risk factor for death. Especially in young patients the impact of dementia on mortality is high. 25 Introduction Dementia typically is considered a disorder of the elderly and the prevalence increases exponentially with age 1,2. In general, increasing age is the most important risk factor for death. Moreover, dementia in itself is an important risk factor for death 3-8. Estimates of survival in demented persons are useful for patients, caregivers and clinicians, bearing relevance to counselling patients and caregivers and planning special health and social services. Patients suffering from dementia die earlier than healthy subjects of the same age