Alzheimer's disease natural history, complications and prognosis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Overview
Alzheimer's disease is a slow progressing condition that involves complications such as the inability to take care of oneself. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, and the patient will typically pass away from a cause associated with Alzheimer's.
Complications
The following list of complications may occur in association with Alzheimer's disease.
- Loss of ability to function or care for self
- Bedsores, muscle contractures (loss of ability to move joints because of loss of muscle function), infection (particularly urinary tract infections and pneumonia), and other complications related to immobility during end stages of AD
- Falls and broken bones
- Loss of ability to interact
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Failure of body systems
- Harmful or violent behavior toward self or others
- Abuse by an over-stressed caregiver
Prognosis
Individual prognosis is difficult to assess, as the duration of the disease varies. AD develops for an indeterminate period of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnosed for years.
The early stages of Alzheimer's disease are difficult to diagnose. A definitive diagnosis is usually made once cognitive impairment compromises everyday activities, although the person may still be living independently. People with Alzheimer's disease progress from mild cognitive problems, such as memory loss, through increasing stages of cognitive and non-cognitive disturbances, eliminating any possibility of independent living.[1]
Life expectancy of the population with the disease is reduced.[2][3][4] The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years.[5] Fewer than 3% of patients live more than fourteen years.[5] Disease features significantly associated with reduced survival are an increased severity of cognitive impairment, decreased functional level, history of falls, and disturbances in the neurological examination. Other coincident diseases such as heart problems, diabetes or history of alcohol abuse are also related with shortened survival.[3][6][7] While the earlier the age at onset the higher the total survival years, life expectancy is particularly reduced when compared to the healthy population among those who are younger.[4] Men have a less favourable survival prognosis than women.[5][8] Pneumonia and dehydration are the most frequent immediate causes of death, while cancer is a less frequent cause of death than in the general population.[2][8]
References
- ↑ Förstl H, Kurz A (1999). "Clinical features of Alzheimer's disease". European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 249 (6): 288–90. PMID 10653284. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mölsä PK, Marttila RJ, Rinne UK (1986). "Survival and cause of death in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia". Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 74 (2): 103–7. PMID 3776457. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help);|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bowen JD, Malter AD, Sheppard L; et al. (1996). "Predictors of mortality in patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease". Neurology. 47 (2): 433–9. PMID 8757016. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dodge HH, Shen C, Pandav R, DeKosky ST, Ganguli M (2003). "Functional transitions and active life expectancy associated with Alzheimer disease". Arch. Neurol. 60 (2): 253–9. PMID 12580712. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mölsä PK, Marttila RJ, Rinne UK (1995). "Long-term survival and predictors of mortality in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia". Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 91 (3): 159–64. PMID 7793228. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help);|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ Larson EB, Shadlen MF, Wang L; et al. (2004). "Survival after initial diagnosis of Alzheimer disease". Ann. Intern. Med. 140 (7): 501–9. PMID 15068977. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Jagger C, Clarke M, Stone A (1995). "Predictors of survival with Alzheimer's disease: a community-based study". Psychol Med. 25 (1): 171–7. PMID 7792352. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ganguli M, Dodge HH, Shen C, Pandav RS, DeKosky ST (2005). "Alzheimer disease and mortality: a 15-year epidemiological study". Arch. Neurol. 62 (5): 779–84. doi:10.1001/archneur.62.5.779. PMID 15883266. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help)