Lower mortality rate in people with dementia is associated with better cognitive and functional performance in an outpatient cohort

• Main Authors: Carolina Verdan, Deborah Casarsa, Marcus Romeu Perrout, Marisa Santos, Jano Alves de Souza, Osvaldo Nascimento, Evandro Silva Freire Coutinho, Jerson Laks
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academia Brasileira de Neurologia (ABNEURO) 2014-04-01
• Series: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
• Subjects: doença de Alzheimer; atividades de vida diária; Mini Exame do Estado Mental; mortalidade; Brasil
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2014000400278&lng=en&tlng=en
• ISSN: 1678-4227

We describe a three-year experience with patients with dementia. Method: clinical, cognitive and functional evaluation was performed by a multidisciplinary team for persons above 60 years. Mortality was assessed after three years. Results: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (n=2,074) was 15.7 (8.4). Male patients MMSE (n=758) was 15.6 (8.3) and female's (n=1315) was 15.8 (8.3). Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (n=2023) was 16.5 (7.6); females (n=1277) was 16.9 (7.2) and males (n=745) was 15.7(8.2). From these patients, 12.6% (n=209) died within three years. Baseline cognition of patients still alive was higher (p<0.001) than MMSE of those who died [MMSE=16.3 (8.1) vs. 10.6 (7.6)]. Mortality rate decreased 6% (IR=0.94) for each additional point on MMSE. Higher functional status decreases the mortality rate approximately 11% (IR=0.89) independently of age, gender, and education. Conclusion: Three-year mortality rates are dependent on baseline functional and cognitive status