The Prevalence and Incidence of Dementia with Lewy Bodies: a Systematic Review.
BACKGROUND
Population-based prevalence and incidence studies are essential for understanding the societal burden of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).


METHODS
The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched to identify publications addressing the incidence and/or prevalence of DLB. References of included articles and prior systematic reviews were searched for additional studies. Two reviewers screened all abstracts and full-text reviews, abstracted data and performed quality assessments.


RESULTS
Twenty-two studies were included. Incidence rates ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 per 1000 person-years. DLB accounted for 3.2-7.1% of all dementia cases in the incidence studies. Point and period prevalence estimates ranged from 0.02 to 63.5 per 1000 persons. Increasing prevalence estimates were reported with increasing age. DLB accounted for from 0.3 to 24.4% of all cases of dementia in the prevalence studies.


CONCLUSIONS
DLB becomes more common with increasing age and accounts for about 5% of all dementia cases in older populations.
1Brenda Strafford Chair in Geriatric Medicine,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
David B
DB
Hogan
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Kirsten M
KM
Fiest
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Jodie I
JI
Roberts
4Department of Community Health Sciences,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Colleen J
CJ
Maxwell
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Jonathan
J
Dykeman
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Tamara
T
Pringsheim
9Department of Medicine,University of Toronto,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
Thomas
T
Steeves
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Eric E
EE
Smith
5Department of Clinical Neurosciences,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Dawn
D
Pearson
2Hotchkiss Brain Institute,University of Calgary,Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
Nathalie
N
Jetté
D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence
Dementia with Lewy bodies; Lewy body disease; epidemiology; incidence; prevalence; systematic review