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Systematic Review of Dementia in Europe Higher Prevalence in Female "Oldest Old"

The goal of Dr. Emma Reynish, a consultant geriatrician and coordinator of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium from the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Scotland, UK, and colleagues at the EuroCoDe (European Collaboration on Dementia) project, was to determine the prevalence of dementia in Europe based on up to date research findings and including data from Eastern Europe. They conducted an extensive literature search using Cochrane review methodologies and compiled a database of all European epidemiological studies in the field up to the present date. 194 articles were identified by the review and 26 studies met inclusion criteria to participate with raw data in the collaborative analysis.

According to the researchers, while dementia prevalence rates for all men and for women up to age 85 confirmed previous findings, age-specific prevalence rates were higher than previously documented in the female "oldest old" age groups, rising to over 50% in those over 95 years.

"Our key findings confirmed that age remains as the single most important risk factor for dementia," Reynish said. "Nevertheless, due to the lack of data in the oldest old in previous prevalence studies, the prevalence of dementia of women over the age of 85 had been underreported."

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