Abstract
There is a little information about dementia in Saudis. This is a retrospective chart review study from1995 -2010. to describe the demographic characteristics and the risk factors of dementia, the prevalence of different types of dementia, and the current clinical practice of dementia in Saudi tertiary care hospital. A total of 418 demented patients (236 males, 182 females) their mean age was 78.8. Prevalence of diabetes 32%, hypertension 71.53%, dyslipidemia 30.05% and depression 24.41%. Clinically 64.37% of patients had memory impairment, 54.25% had confusion and 34.63% had personality changing. The commonest type of dementia was mixed dementia 18.37% followed by Alzheimer disease15.87%. 16.10% of patients had received cholinesterase inhibitor and 9.78% had received memantine. Infection was the commonest cause of frequent admission (40%) Mortality rate was 77.99%. The commonest cause of death was infection (38.34%) followed by cardiovascular causes like stroke (23.34%) and cardiac diseases (17.48%). Conclusion: (1) Mixed dementia is the commonest type of dementia in Saudis due to high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases risk factors. (2) High prevalence of depression among demented Saudi patients. It requires early recognition and treatment. (3) Demented patients have frequent admissions and long stay in hospital which makes the economic cost is very high. (4) Mortality rate among demented patients is high and the outcome of dementia is expected to be poor. The underlying message of this study is to increase awareness of the public and health system about the impact of dementia in Saudis and the need for prevention strategies, trained physicians and more research.
Highlights
Dementia is characterized by the impairment of memory and learning and at least one other cognitive domain, representing a highly severe functional deterioration that interferes with the patient’s daily functional abilities and independence [1].Dementia is a syndrome caused by different etiologies and it has a substantial medical and social impact [2]
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the number of persons living with dementia worldwide (36 million in 2010) will double over the 20 years [3]
The objective of this study is to describe the demographic characteristics and the risk factors of dementia, the prevalence of different types of dementia, and the current clinical practice of dementia in Saudi Arabia at tertiary care hospital
Summary
Dementia is a syndrome caused by different etiologies and it has a substantial medical and social impact [2]. Dementia prevalence has increased continuously over the past decades due to aging populations. Saudi Arabia is facing the challenge of an ageing population. According to the last Saudi census in 2011 the Muneerah Albugami et al.: The Demographic Characteristics and the Risk Factors of Dementia in SAUDI Elderly life expectancy at birth is 74. Increased in elderly population will have an impact on health care and social services. There is a little information about dementia in Saudis [4].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
