Table 2.
Characteristics of patients with incident dementia (n = 1,848)
| Baseline characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Mean age, in years (SD) | 78.7 (7.4) |
| Age groups, in years | |
| 65-74 | 30.6% |
| 75-84 | 47.1% |
| 85+ | 22.3% |
| Sex | |
| Male | 52.4% |
| Female | 47.6% |
| Area of residence* | |
| Urban | 72.0% |
| Rural | 28.0% |
| Number of prescribed medications | |
| Mean (SD) | 9.7 (5.7) |
| Minimum (Q0, 0th percentile) | 0 |
| First quartile (Q1, 25th percentile) | 6 |
| Second quartile (Q2, median, 50th percentile) | 9 |
| Third quartile (Q3, 75th percentile) | 13 |
| Maximum (Q4, 100th percentile) | 51 |
| Level of care dependency | |
| None | 55.6% |
| 1 | 20.7% |
| 2 | 18.5% |
| 3 | 5.2% |
| Symptom complexes characterizing geriatric patients | |
| Severe visual disturbances and hearing loss | 47.7% |
| Pain | 46.1% |
| High risk of complications | 35.9% |
| Depression and anxiety | 32.9% |
| Incontinence | 24.0% |
| Falls risk and dizziness | 21.9% |
| Neuropathies | 17.4% |
| Disorders of fluid and electrolyte balance | 15.4% |
| Pressure ulcer | 9.5% |
| Frailty | 3.9% |
| Others (immobility, malnutrition, medication problems, delayed convalescence) | 2.7% |
| Number of symptom complexes characterizing geriatric patients | |
| 0 | 8.0% |
| 1-2 | 44.8% |
| 3-4 | 34.5% |
| 5+ | 12.7% |
| Contacts to neurologists/psychiatrists | |
| 0 | 55.4% |
| 1-2 | 9.0% |
| 3-5 | 9.8% |
| 6-9 | 12.2% |
| 10+ | 13.6% |
* missing values for 2 patients for which classification into the urban or rural group was not possible