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Risk of a Diagnosis of Dementia for Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries after Intensive Care.

ABSTRACT: Critical illness is likely associated with an increased risk of dementia, but the magnitude remains uncertain.The cohort was a random 2.5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries who received intensive care in 2005 and survived to hospital discharge. Patients were matched with general population controls (age, sex, and race) with 3 yr of follow-up. The authors used an extended Cox model to assess the risk of a diagnosis of dementia, adjusting for the known risk factors for dementia, and the competing risk of death.Among 10,348 intensive care patients who survived to hospital discharge, dementia was newly diagnosed in 1,648 (15.0%) over the 3 yr of follow-up versus 12.2% in controls (incidence per 1,000 person-years, 73.6; 95% CI, 70.0 to 77.1 vs. 45.8; 95% CI, 43.2 to 48.3; hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% CI, 1.50 to 1.74; P < 0.001). After accounting for the known risk factors in the year before the index hospitalization, the risk of receiving a diagnosis of dementia remained increased in patients who received intensive care (adjusted HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.54; P < 0.001). Inclusion of identifiable risk factors accrued during the quarter of critical illness accounted for almost all of the increased risks (adjusted HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.20; P = 0.06).Elderly critical care survivors have a 60% increased relative risk, but only 3% increased absolute risk, of receiving a diagnosis of dementia in the subsequent 3 yr compared with the general population. This increased risk is not accounted for by risk factors preexisting the critical illness. Surveillance bias, which increases the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of dementia, could account for some or all of these additional risks.

SUBMITTER: Guerra C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4618156 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Risk of a Diagnosis of Dementia for Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries after Intensive Care.

Guerra Carmen C Hua May M Wunsch Hannah H

Anesthesiology 20151101 5

<h4>Background</h4>Critical illness is likely associated with an increased risk of dementia, but the magnitude remains uncertain.<h4>Methods</h4>The cohort was a random 2.5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries who received intensive care in 2005 and survived to hospital discharge. Patients were matched with general population controls (age, sex, and race) with 3 yr of follow-up. The authors used an extended Cox model to assess the risk of a diagnosis of dementia, adjusting for the known risk factor ...[more]

PMID: 26270938

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Project description:PurposeTo examine the relationship between dementia status and receipt of eye care among US Medicare beneficiaries.DesignRetrospective, claims-based analysis.ParticipantsA 20% representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who received care between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015.MethodsDementia was identified from diagnosis codes documented in a beneficiary's first 3 years of observed Medicare enrollment. Eye care visits were identified from provider specialty codes on each encounter claim. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models with time-varying covariates to compare the likelihood of receiving eye care between beneficiaries with and without dementia. All models were adjusted for potential confounders, including demographics, urban/rural residence, systemic health (Charlson Index), and ocular comorbidities.Main outcome measuresHazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for (1) being seen by any eye care provider (ophthalmologist or optometrist); (2) being seen by an ophthalmologist specifically; and (3) receiving cataract surgery (among beneficiaries with ophthalmologist encounters).ResultsA total of 4 451 200 beneficiaries met inclusion criteria; 3 805 718 (85.5%) received eye care during the study period, and 391 556 (8.8%) had diagnosed dementia. Some 73.4% of beneficiaries diagnosed with dementia saw an eye care provider during the study period and 55.4% saw an ophthalmologist versus 86.7% and 74.0% of beneficiaries, respectively, without dementia diagnoses. Compared with those without dementia diagnoses, beneficiaries with diagnosed dementia had lower likelihood of seeing any eye care provider (adjusted HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.69-0.70) and were less likely to see an ophthalmologist (adjusted HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.55-0.55). Among the subset of beneficiaries who did see ophthalmologists, those with diagnosed dementia were also less likely to receive cataract surgery than beneficiaries without diagnosed dementia (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.62-0.63) and less likely to receive a cataract diagnosis (18% vs. 82%).ConclusionsUS Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with dementia are less likely to receive eye care than those without diagnosed dementia. Depending on visual acuity and functional status, this may have implications for injury prevention, physical and cognitive function, and quality of life. Further work is needed to identify barriers to receiving eye care, determine eye care services and settings that provide greatest value to patients with dementia, and implement measures to improve access to appropriate eye care.

Dataset Information

Risk of a Diagnosis of Dementia for Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries after Intensive Care.

Publications

Risk of a Diagnosis of Dementia for Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries after Intensive Care.

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