title: Risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in older people with subjective memory complaints: meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether people with subjective memory complaints (SMC) but no objective deficits are at increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Major electronic databases were searched till 03/2014, and a meta-analysis was conducted using inception cohort studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across 28 studies, there were 29,723 unique individuals (14,714 with SMC and 15,009 without SMC) (mean 71.6 years) followed on average for 4.8 years through to dementia. The annual conversion rate (ACR) of SMC to dementia was 2.33% (95% CI = 1.93%-2.78%) a relative risk (RR) of 2.07 (95% CI = 1.76-2.44) compared with those without SMC (n = 15,009). From 11 studies the ACR of developing MCI was 6.67% (95% CI = 4.70-8.95%). In long-term studies over 4 years, 14.1% (9.67-19.1%) of people with SMC developed dementia and 26.6% (95% CI = 5.3-39.7) went on to develop MCI. The ACR from SMC to dementia and MCI were comparable in community and non-community settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older people with SMC but no objective complaints are twice as likely to develop dementia as individuals without SMC. Approximately 2.3% and 6.6% of older people with SMC will progress to dementia and MCI per year.
authors.affiliation: Leicestershire Partnership Trust, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beaumont
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yadegarfar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stubbs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report
keywords: dementia; mild cognitive impairment; subjective memory complaints