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Incidence of Dementia in a Representative British Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Kevin Morgan*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
Jeanette M. Lilley
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
Tom Arie
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
E. Jane Byrne
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
Rob Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
Jonathan Waite
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care for the Elderly University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH
*
Correspondence

Abstract

In a four-year follow-up study of 1042 elderly people (aged 65 years or older), randomly sampled from the community, levels of dementia were assessed using a two-phase case-finding procedure (screening followed by clinical interview) among survivors. Clinical information on those not reinterviewed was provided by death certificates, hospital case notes, or postal questionnaires. The weighted four-year cumulative incidence of dementia was 3.7% (95% confidence intervals: 2.4%-5.0%), with age-specific rates of 0.9%, 2.8%, 5.2%, 9.0%, and 8.7% for the age groups 65–69, 70–74, 75–79, 80–84, and 85–89 years respectively. While consistent with data from other British regions, it remains likely that these rates underestimate true incidence.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993 

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