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The majority of people with dementia in the United States may have never go out a doctor about their memory and thinking problems , according to a Modern study of older adults .
The researchers found that 55 per centum of patientsscreened for dementiaas part of the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study had never been valuate prior to participating in this study , despite showing a clear cognitive declination .
Although the study was modest — it include 845 people — the termination inculpate that upwards of 1.8 million Americans years 70 and older with dementia also have either never been screened , or are not receiving intervention .
This is a lost chance because intervention could substantially improve some people ’s quality of life , the researcher drop a line in their discipline , release today ( Nov. 26 ) in the journal Neurology . [ 10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp ]
" former rating and recognition of people with dementia may facilitate them receive forethought in the beginning " and help subdue social cost , said Dr. Vikas Kotagal , extend author on the paper and assistant prof of clinical neurology at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor .
People with dementedness may have any of a host of learning ability circumstance that make farsighted - term difficulty in cerebrate and logical thinking that are hard enough to regard day-to-day life history . The most common kind isAlzheimer ’s disease .
Most chassis of dementedness have no therapeutic , and handling is special . Nevertheless , screen for dementia at its earliest stage might help doctors slow the progression or serious equip family penis and the affected role to deal with the disease , Kotagal said .
Some variant of dementia stem from poor nutrition and can be reversed . One vulgar , two-sided causal agent of dementedness is vitamin B12 deficiency .
" There are [ several ] factor that ordinarily contribute to overall cognitive disability in patients with dementedness that can get better with medical direction , namely depression and eternal rest upset , " Kotagal told LiveScience . " Many dementias arecaused by cardiovascular risk factor . discover these peril factors and qualify them in at - risk person can lead to a alteration in the natural [ patterned advance ] of these atmospheric condition . "
For non - two-sided word form of dementia , some studies have shown that exercising , societal interaction , and engaging the mind in puzzles and games may help slow the progression , although to a very limited degree . medication , too , such as cholinesterase inhibitor , may have a little but positive effect in help patient role wield longer bouts of clean thinking .
The newfangled study also found that people who were espouse were more than twice as likely to have had dementedness screening as multitude who were not espouse .
" It ’s possible that mate feel more comfortable than nipper [ do ] raising concerns , " about dementia , Kotagal said . Another possibility could be that single aged multitude may be more loath to divvy up their care with their doctor if they are worried about the shock it could have on their independency , he added .
determine when to see a Doctor of the Church can be tricky , the research worker compose , given that tests are not standardized and most seniors see at leastsome cognitive declinethat ’s not dementedness .
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force , a non - governmental instrument panel of health experts , does not recommend ecumenical screening for dementedness because the benefits of pharmacologic treatment might not overbalance the risks .
" execute this testing in clinically symptomatic sure-enough individuals , however , is a unlike story , " Kotagal supply . For people with symptoms , a screening may be a great help .
People with a family member who needs more help with task that they have always been able to handle — specifically because of thinking and retention trouble — should consider scheduling a sojourn to discourse this with the person ’s medico , he enounce .
Thesymptoms of dementiausually first appear after age 60 , and the risk of infection increases with age . By geezerhood 85 , between 25 and 50 percent of masses display signs of Alzheimer ’s disease , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Under the Affordable Care Act , Medicare now recoup hoi polloi for Annual Wellness Visits that can admit an assessment of cognitive mathematical function .
