Mortality from dementia

Dementia disorders are fatal. On average, a person with a dementia disorder lives 5 to 8 years after the diagnosis.

Dementia disorders evolve gradually and are ultimately fatal. However, some people live for many years with dementia. It is believed that dementia is the fourth most common cause of death in Denmark with cancer, heart diseases and respiratory diseases being more frequent causes of death.

The table displays 1- and 5-years survival rates for women and men aged 65-69 years and 90+ years.

  Women   Men  
  65-69 y 90+ y 65-69 y 90+y
1-year survival 90 % 60 % 88 % 50%
5-year survival 62% 10 % 54 % 5 %

 

Source: Taudorf L, et al.. Mortality in Dementia from 1996 to 2015: A National Registry-Based Cohort Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;79(1):289-300.

The Government Agency for Health Data (Sundhedsdatastyrelsen)
The Government Agency for Health Data
Vestergaard SV, Rasmussen TB, Stallknecht S, Olsen J, Skipper N, Sorensen HT, et al. Occurrence, mortality and cost of brain disorders in Denmark: a population-based cohort study. BMJ Open. 2020;10(11):e037564
PubMed
Taudorf L, Norgaard A, Waldemar G, Laursen TM. Mortality in Dementia from 1996 to 2015: A National Registry-Based Cohort Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020
PubMed
Taudorf L, Norgaard A, Islamoska S, Laursen TM, Waldemar G. Causes of Death in People with Dementia from 2002 to 2015: A Nationwide Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;82(4):1609-18.
PubMed
Taudorf L, Norgaard A, Brodaty H, Laursen TM, Waldemar G. Dementia increases mortality beyond effects of comorbid conditions: A national registry-based cohort study. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28(7):2174-84
PubMed
Print
Latest update: