Most Participants With Probable Dementia Are Unaware of Diagnosis

THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Unawareness of dementia diagnosis is very common and varies with race, but it is not associated with caregiver burden, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Josh Martins-Caulfield, from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study to examine the association of ethnicity with dementia diagnosis unawareness, and further assessed the association of dementia diagnosis unawareness with caregiver burden.

The researchers found that 81 percent of participants with probable dementia were not aware of a dementia diagnosis. Mexican American participants were more likely than non-Hispanic White participants to be unaware of a diagnosis (85 versus 68 percent). Overall, 6.6 percent of the participants with probable dementia had no primary care provider; there was no association seen between unawareness of diagnosis and lack of primary care. No association was seen for diagnosis unawareness and caregiver burden, but unawareness was associated with a lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment score and greater physical impairment.

“Broad unawareness of dementia diagnoses, particularly with notable ethnic disparities, holds important implications for providers. Physicians may not engage in conversations with patients and families about dementia, most commonly due to a lack of training and time,” the authors write.

One author reported payment for expert testimony; one author reported payment from Duly Health and Care.

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