title: Survival in a population-based cohort of dementia patients: predictors and causes of mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine predictors of survival time and causes of mortality in a population-based cohort of demented subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal naturalistic follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rural area in The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 102 demented subjects derived from a population-based, two-stage prevalence study of dementia among subjects aged 65 and over.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survival analysis was performed using the Realized Probability of Dying as a measure of survival time. Adjustment for duration and severity at study entry was employed in all analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A substantial excess mortality was present among demented subjects as compared with their non-demented birth cohort. Disorders related to dementia, such as cachexia, dehydration and pneumonia, were major causes of death. Variables related to severity of functional impairment, aphasia and a shorter duration at study entry predicted a shorter survival in the study population.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Home 'Anna Schotanus', Heerenveen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Den Brink
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Deeg
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eefsting
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Tilburg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D003704:Dementia / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis