Older Americans May Have Dementia Without Knowing

Newsweek -  A recent study indicated that older Americans may either have dementia diagnoses without knowing or may not self-report having a diagnosis, and experts have called for more work to be done to improve early detection.

Researchers at Yale University found that 67 percent of older Americans underreported having a dementia diagnosis, which was more than double the rate for other conditions within the same sample group, such as arthritis (17 percent underreported having the condition), diabetes (39 percent) and depression (46 percent).

Other research has raised similar concerns about dementia screening as well. Dr. Malaz Boustani, a professor of aging at Indiana University, told Newsweek that his team's 2005 primary-care study found "only 19 percent of patients whose dementia was confirmed through formal assessment had dementia documented in their medical record. Approximately 80 percent lacked a recorded diagnosis."