Only 1 in 10 older adults in a large national survey who were found to have cognitive impairment consistent with dementia reported a formal medical diagnosis of the condition.
Researchers at the University of Michigan, North Dakota State University and Ohio University used data from the Health and Retirement Study to develop a nationally representative sample of roughly 6 million Americans age 65 or older. They found that 91% of people with cognitive impairment consistent with dementia did not report a formal medical diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
“(The discrepancy) was higher than I was expecting,” said Sheria Robinson-Lane, study co-author and assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing.
When proxy reporters (generally, family members) responded, the prevalence dropped from 91% to around 75%, which is still very significant, she said. While many…
