One in ten dementia patients may have been MISDIAGNOSED, claim experts - and in fact have a common condition caused by bad diet and boozing

One in ten dementia patients may have been MISDIAGNOSED, claim experts - and in fact have a common condition caused by bad diet and boozing READ MORE: 'Wonder' Alz drug won't be offered on NHS as benefits too small By Barney Calman Head Of Health For Mailonline Published: 12:21 BST, 26 August 2024 | Updated: 12:21 BST, 26 August 2024 e-mail View comments More than one in ten people diagnosed with dementia may instead have a common, treatable liver condition that causes similar symptoms, say experts. It means thousands may have been wrongly told they have the incurable memory-robbing disease — when in fact their problems are reversible, they add. A study of more than 68,000 people diagnosed with dementia found that almost 13 per cent has signs of brain 'poisoning' known as hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

This is triggered by liver cirrhosis — when scar tissue builds up in the organ, usually as a result of heavy drinking, obesity or the viral infection hepatitis. The new findings back up research published in February that showed about 10 per cent of US veterans with dementia could in fact have HE. Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Rob Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at University College London said: 'No one should be diagnosed with dementia without physical causes for their confusion being excluded' Early symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy include confusion, forgetfulness, personality or mood changes, changes in sleep patterns and difficulty writing — which are also demen.