title: Incident subjective memory complaints and the risk of subsequent dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we aimed to analyze the association between new-incident-subjective memory complaints (SMC) and risk of subsequent dementia in a general population sample aged 75+ years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were derived from follow-up (FUP) waves I-V of the population-based Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged (LEILA75+). We used the Kaplan-Meier survival method to estimate dementia-free survival times of individuals with and without incident SMC and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association between incident SMC and risk of subsequent dementia, controlled for covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 443 non-demented individuals, 58 (13.1%) developed dementia during a subsequent 5.4-year follow-up period. Participants with incident SMC showed a significantly higher progression to dementia (18.5% vs. 10.0%; P=0.010) and a significantly shorter mean dementia-free survival time than those without (6.2 vs. 6.8 years; P=0.008). The association between incident SMC and risk of subsequent dementia remained significant in the multivariable Cox analysis (adjusted hazard ratio=1.8; P=0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest higher progression to dementia and shorter dementia-free survival in older individuals with incident SMC. These findings support the notion that such subjective complaints should be taken seriously in clinical practice as possible early indicators of incipient dementia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matschinger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jessen
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: dementia; early intervention; epidemiology; old-age; outcome