TitleDementia incidence may increase more slowly after age 90: results from the Bronx Aging Study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2005
AuthorsHall, CB, Verghese, J, Sliwinski, M, Chen, Z, Katz, M, Derby, C, Lipton, RB
JournalNeurology
Volume65
Issue6
Pagination882-6
Date Published2005 Sep 27
ISSN1526-632X
KeywordsAge Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Causality, Cohort Studies, Dementia, Disease Progression, Female, Humans, Incidence, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, New York City, Risk Factors, Sex Distribution, Surveys and Questionnaires
Abstract

<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Dementia incidence increases dramatically from age 65 to age 85, with many studies reporting a doubling every 5 years. The incidence beyond age 85 is not established.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To estimate the incidence of dementia as a function of age, with a particular focus on persons aged 85 and over.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>The Bronx Aging Study began in 1980 with 488 healthy, nondemented community-dwelling individuals, age 75 to 85. Persons in the study received clinical examinations and cognitive testing approximately every 12 months until death or loss to follow-up. The diagnosis of dementia was made using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-R at diagnostic case conferences. Dementia incidence rates were calculated for 5-year age bands using person-time of follow-up as the denominator.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>The relative incidence rate ratios of dementia for age 80 to 84 vs 75 to 79 was 2.32 (95% CI 1.23 to 4.37), the relative rate for age 85 to 89 vs 80 to 84 was 1.89 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.83), the relative rate for age 90 to 94 vs 85 to 89 was 1.49 (95% CI 0.86 to 2.58), while the relative rate for age 95 to 99 vs 90 to 94 was 1.31 (95% CI 0.38 to 4.46). Similar results were seen for men and women considered separately. Had the rate of increase from age 75 to 89 continued into the 90s, the study would have had 73% power to detect a significant difference between the rates for age 90 to 94 and 85 to 89 given the amount of observed follow-up time.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Whereas dementia incidence continues to increase beyond age 85, the rate of increase appears to slow relative to that of 65- to 85-year-olds. These results suggest that dementia in the oldest old might be related not to the aging process itself but with age-associated risk factors.</p>

DOI10.1212/01.wnl.0000176053.98907.3f
Alternate JournalNeurology
PubMed ID16186528
Grant ListAG03949-15 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States