Older age, female sex, irregular heart rhythms, and daily activity levels can help to predict how much Alzheimer's disease patients' cognitive function will decline, and how much they will depend on their caregivers over the next two years. The results suggest new ways to predict cognitive decline in patients, and that caregivers need to be considered in treatment plans. Liane Kaufmann from the Ernst von Bergmann Clinic in Potsdam, Germany, Josef Marksteiner from the General Hospital in Hall, Austria, and colleagues present these findings in the open access journal on August 14, 2024.
Alzheimer's disease affects between 50% and 70% of patients diagnosed with dementia. To understand which patient characteristics might best predict cognitive decline in these patients, the authors of this study followed an initial cohort of 500 Austrian patients with probable and possible Alzheimer's disease for two years. After taking a history of conditions such as , , and diabetes, the researchers tracked cognitive function, daily living activities, depression, pain, and neuropsychiatric symptoms over a period of two years.
The researchers also assessed the burden on the patients' caregivers. All patients experienced significant cognitive decline over the two-year period, associated with decreased daily life activities and increased dependence on their caregivers. Age, female sex, difficulty with daily activities and depression predicted cognitive decline at every time point.
Older age, femal.