Mortality in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the relevance of variables suspected to influence mortality in Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
172 subjects with AD recruited through a family study were followed up for a mean of 4.7 +/- 2.6 years. Their survival was compared with that of matched control subjects using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank statistics. Variables determining mortality were examined with the Cox proportional hazards model.


RESULTS
Survival in subjects with AD depended on age, the severity of cognitive decline and on the incidence of hospitalisation. Gender, the duration of the illness, the velocity of cognitive decline, the allele E4 of the apolipoprotein E genotype and the presence of other lifetime psychiatric diagnoses did not influence mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Mortality in AD depended mainly on the subjects' age and the severity of the disorder.
Bonsignore
Marzia
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany.
Heun
Reinhard
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis