According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, seniors who suffer from a significant amount of forgetfulness – but not enough to classify as dementia – are twice as likely to die within the next five years.
The results were published in a study by the Alzheimer’s Association, and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“Cognitive impairment of any kind is serious, and requires increased medical and personal attention,” Ronald Petersen with the Alzheimer’s Association, was quoted in the report as saying.
However, the risk of early death was just among seniors whose forgetfulness was above normal, not seniors whose mental decline caused them to suffer from poor judgment, organizational difficulties and even decreased reasoning abilities.
The Times reported that researchers at the Vancouver conference are hoping to find trends and patterns so they can identify what Alzheimer’s and Dementia may look like in its early stages. If that happens, many seniors may not have to require Alzheimer’s Care communities, and may remain mentally healthy instead.