Prevalence of possible Alzheimer′s disease in an urban elderly population of Ludhiana: A pilot study

Abstract

Background : Dementias in the elderly, of which Alzheimer′s disease (AD) is the most common form, may emerge as important public health problems in the elderly in low-resource developing countries whose populations are ageing rapidly. Aims: 1. To find out the prevalence of possible AD in the elderly population of an urban area of Ludhiana. 2. To identify major socio-demographic risk factors for "possible AD" in the population under study. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on >60 year old residents of an urban area of Ludhiana. Data was collected from 200 consenting individuals chosen by simple random sampling, using a pre-tested questionnaire with standardized batteries, "10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer′s Disease" to screen for possible AD, Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI) to assess physical impairment and the Hindi version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive impairment. The presence of >1 warning signs was considered as "possible AD", EASI score >3 as "functional impairment" and MMSE score 80-years-old) was observed to be a significant risk factor for "possible AD" [odd ratio (OR) = 3.93, confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-13.26). Gender, educational status, marital status, family type, employment status, and addictions were not found to be statistically significant risk factors (P > 0.05). One-third of those with "possible AD" had "probable AD". Those with "possible AD" were at high risk of having functional impairment (OR = 17.10, 95%, CI = 5.00-58.46).

Keywords

• Alzheimer′s disease
• cognitive impairment
• dementia
• functional impairment
• urban elderly