Each person will have an individual experience of dementia. The speed and pattern of progression of the disease can differ-but the condition is progressive and will get worse over time. Sadly, dementia will limit the life expectancy of the person affected; the condition has now overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
Do you die from dementia?
The forgetfulness, confusion and communication problems of dementia are caused by increasing damage to cells in the brain. But the brain doesn’t just control memory and thought; it is also the control centre for the body. Progressive brain cell death will eventually cause the digestive system, lungs, and heart to fail, meaning that dementia is a terminal condition.Studies suggest that, on average, someone will live around ten years following a dementia diagnosis. However, this can vary significantly between individuals, some people living for more than twenty years, so it’s important to try not to focus on the figures and to make the very most of the time left.What affects life expectancy in dementia?
The life expectancy of someone living with dementia depends on many factors. The type of dementia, the severity of dementia at the time of diagnosis, and the individual’s age, sex, and their general health and wellbeing can all impact on the time they can live with the disease.The key things that affect life expectancy include:- Age: Most people with dementia are elderly and may be affected by other illnesses and chronic conditions. The frail elderly are more vulnerable to falls, infections and other diseases which could, unfortunately, cause an earlier death. Younger people with dementia (around 60-65 years of age) may decline more slowly and live longer than those who are over eighty when they receive their diagnosis.
- Type of dementia: There are many conditions that can cause the brain damage of dementia; each of these diseases will have different patterns and speed of progression.
- The severity of dementia at diagnosis: Dementia is progressive. The early forgetfulness and problems with thinking may be missed or dismissed. If dementia is identified at a later stage in the disease process, then the length of survival will be decreased.
- General health and wellbeing: People who have other illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure will tend to have a lower life expectancy than those who are generally healthy.
- Level of function: People who have a higher functional ability tend to live longer. This is about more than simple brain function and memory. There’s evidence that individuals that do things for themselves, even with advanced dementia, have longer life-spans.
- Sex: Some research has suggested that, on average, women with dementia may live longer than men with the condition. They appear to survive longer in the severe stage of the disease. Following diagnosis, people with dementia, particularly women, spent around half of their remaining lives in the challenging, disabling stages of the disease.