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Whites: Shortest Survival After Dementia Diagnosis
Alzheimers Dement; ePub 2017 Feb 4; Mayeda, et al
Survival after dementia diagnosis differs by race/ethnicity, with shortest survival among whites and longest among Asian Americans, according to a recent study. Dementia-free health care members aged ≥64 years were followed (January 1, 2000–December 31, 2013) for dementia diagnosis and subsequent survival (n=23,032 Asian American; n=18,778 African American; n=21,000 Latino; n=4,543 American Indian/Alaska Native; and n=206,490 white). Researchers found:
- After dementia diagnosis (n=59,494), whites had shortest median survival (3.1 years), followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (3.4 years), African Americans (3.7 years), Latinos (4.1 years), and Asian Americans (4.4 years).
- Longer post-diagnosis survival among racial/ethnic minorities compared with whites persisted after adjustment for comorbidities.
- Racial/ethnic mortality inequalities among dementia patients mostly paralleled mortality inequalities among people without dementia.
Mayeda ER, Glymour MM, Quesenberry CP, Johnson JK, Pérez-Stable EJ, Whitmer RA. Survival after dementia diagnosis in five racial/ethnic groups. [Published online ahead of print February 4, 2017]. Alzheimers Dement. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.12.008.