United States: A new study shows that where you actually live in the United States can affect how quickly you get diagnosed with dementia. In some places, people might be twice as likely to get a diagnosis compared to others.
Importance of Early Diagnosis
As reported by HealthDay, getting diagnosed early is really important because it can help slow down the progress of the disease. Right now, about 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, but experts think many more people might have symptoms without a formal diagnosis.
So, this particular study basically focused on the “diagnostic intensity” and the difference in getting dementia treatment between the areas after all the risk factors and the population differences have been stripped away!
Study Focus and Findings
For the project all the experts and researchers have analysed data on 4.8 million people covered by the traditional Medicare and older than 66 in the year 2019.
Researchers estimated that almost about seven percent of those covered by the traditional Medicare and its almost 357,000 of the people studied and had dementia diagnosis at any given time and almost about three percent of this population is newly diagnosed each year.
Comparing regions of the United States, they found the prevalence of the dementia diagnoses ranged from as low as like its four percent to as highly as fourteen percent.
Likewise, and the rate of the new dementia treatment which ranged from 1.6 percent to 5.4 percent. These findings indicated that in the regions of the lowest level of diagnostic activity of dementia, the likelihood of timely diagnosis is 28% lower than at the national level.
Those living in the areas, which the diagnostic intensity is higher, are 36 % more likely to be diagnosed.
Disparities Among Different Groups
Again, differences were even more pronounced for seniors in the 66 to 75 years age bracket or for Blacks or Hispanics seniors.
The high number of diagnosed dementia cases was highest in the so called ‘stroke belt’ in the South.
Factors Influencing Diagnostic Rates
But once again, writers found that diagnostic intensity did not remain constant throughout the South; other factors had to be taken into account.
To some extent, these variations can be explained by differences in working processes in clinic, Bynum added. For example, there are some areas where people may have better screening by their GP for the first signs of dementia, or better access to a diagnostician.
These variations also may be due to cultural or personal differences. As such, in some places individuals may avoid any form of treatment, let alone make an appointment due to memory issues or even discuss their memory issues with their physicians, Bynum added.
Implications and Future Directions
The findings of the current study have been disclosed in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal published on August 16. During the annual wellness visit, the enrollee is entitled to a cognitive screening, Bynum pointed out. Struggling to increase diagnostic rates for lung cancer in certain areas, for instance, these new findings can help identify what is holding it back, Bynum said.
“The idea these days is to diagnose cognitive problems at an earlier age; however, our data indicate the lowest age cohort of Medicare enrollees is the most diverse,” Bynum explained in a telephone interview with the university.
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