Life expectancy for patients with Alzheimer's disease

AORN Journal,  August, 2004  

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New research from the University at Washington, Seattle, offers information about the life expectancy of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, according to an April 5, 2004, news release from the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, New York. The study included 521 participants ages 60 and older who recently had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Participants were tested on a regular basis for an average of five years. Tests included memory examinations and examinations for additional illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and depression. Participants also completed questionnaires designed to determine if they were experiencing behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease, including wandering, paranoia, falls, agitation, and difficulty walking.

Although individuals vary widely in their response to the disease, researchers were able to determine general trends about Life expectancy for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

* A person with Alzheimer's disease has a life expectancy that is about half as long as that of someone who does not have the disease (eg, a 70-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease would be expected to live another eight years, compared to 16 more years for a healthy 70-year-old woman).

* Women with Alzheimer's disease live longer than men (ie, an average of six years after diagnosis versus four years for men).

* The older a person is at the time of diagnosis, the shorter their life expectancy.

* A person with severe symptoms at the time of diagnosis has a shorter life expectancy.

How Long Can You Expect to Live with Alzheimer's? (news release, New York: Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, April 5, 2004) http://www.alzinfo .org/news/NewsArticle4-6-2004-12-35-PM.aspx (accessed 13 April 2004).

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