Cause of death in autopsy-confirmed dementia disorders
Degerskär, A. N.W. and Englund, E. M. LU
(2020)
In European Journal of Neurology
27(12).
p.2415-2421
- Abstract
Background and purpose: Dementia disorders predispose for lethal complications and decrease life expectancy. A more profound knowledge regarding end-stage conditions in dementia could therefore ameliorate treatment and care of these patients. Methods: Autopsy reports on 207 deceased individuals with clinically diagnosed neurocognitive disorder/dementia and on 200 neurocognitively healthy individuals of the same age range were studied. Autopsy results, especially cause of death, were compared between the dementia and the control groups. Results: The two most frequent causes of death in the dementia population were pneumonia (34.3%) and acute myocardial infarction (30.4%). This result differed from that of the control group, in which... (More)
Background and purpose: Dementia disorders predispose for lethal complications and decrease life expectancy. A more profound knowledge regarding end-stage conditions in dementia could therefore ameliorate treatment and care of these patients. Methods: Autopsy reports on 207 deceased individuals with clinically diagnosed neurocognitive disorder/dementia and on 200 neurocognitively healthy individuals of the same age range were studied. Autopsy results, especially cause of death, were compared between the dementia and the control groups. Results: The two most frequent causes of death in the dementia population were pneumonia (34.3%) and acute myocardial infarction (30.4%). This result differed from that of the control group, in which acute myocardial infarction (42.5%) accounted for most events of deaths, followed by circulatory failure (12.5%). The leading cause of death varied amongst dementia subtypes. Further, in Alzheimer’s disease pneumonia was more frequent in severe/advanced cases whilst acute myocardial infarction was more common in milder cases. Conclusions: Cause of death differed between the demented and the general population of the same age and between subtypes of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease severity was reflected in different final conditions. The findings have relevance for the final stage care and treatment in dementia disorders.
(Less)
- author
- Degerskär, A. N.W.
and Englund, E. M.
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- autopsy reports, dementia subtype, neuropathological diagnosis
- in
- European Journal of Neurology
- volume
- 27
- issue
- 12
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85089973949
- pmid:32692883
- ISSN
- 1351-5101
- DOI
- 10.1111/ene.14450
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 97264c48-bf45-415d-a577-1592ed1a1143
- date added to LUP
- 2020-09-25 12:20:41
- date last changed
- 2024-06-26 22:41:25
@article{97264c48-bf45-415d-a577-1592ed1a1143,
abstract = {{<p>Background and purpose: Dementia disorders predispose for lethal complications and decrease life expectancy. A more profound knowledge regarding end-stage conditions in dementia could therefore ameliorate treatment and care of these patients. Methods: Autopsy reports on 207 deceased individuals with clinically diagnosed neurocognitive disorder/dementia and on 200 neurocognitively healthy individuals of the same age range were studied. Autopsy results, especially cause of death, were compared between the dementia and the control groups. Results: The two most frequent causes of death in the dementia population were pneumonia (34.3%) and acute myocardial infarction (30.4%). This result differed from that of the control group, in which acute myocardial infarction (42.5%) accounted for most events of deaths, followed by circulatory failure (12.5%). The leading cause of death varied amongst dementia subtypes. Further, in Alzheimer’s disease pneumonia was more frequent in severe/advanced cases whilst acute myocardial infarction was more common in milder cases. Conclusions: Cause of death differed between the demented and the general population of the same age and between subtypes of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease severity was reflected in different final conditions. The findings have relevance for the final stage care and treatment in dementia disorders.</p>}},
author = {{Degerskär, A. N.W. and Englund, E. M.}},
issn = {{1351-5101}},
keywords = {{autopsy reports; dementia subtype; neuropathological diagnosis}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{12}},
pages = {{2415--2421}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{European Journal of Neurology}},
title = {{Cause of death in autopsy-confirmed dementia disorders}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ene.14450}},
doi = {{10.1111/ene.14450}},
volume = {{27}},
year = {{2020}},
}