ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the mortality and epidemiological pattern of dementia and its various major subtypes among urban and rural senior residents in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on Beijing's dementia prevalence survey among residents aged 55 years and above in 1997, respondents were selected by stratified multiple-stage cluster sampling and 12 urban communities and 17 rural village communities were randomly sampled then follow-up in 2001. COX regression was used to analyze relative risks controlling confounding factors on deaths of dementia cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mortality of dement patients in the 55-64 age-group was 0.82/100 person-year. The age-standardized mortality of dement cases was 0.90/100 person-year. The mortality in the 65 and above age-group was 1.44/100 person-year, and the age-standardized mortality was 1.56/100 person-year. Among AD cases, the above two mortalities were 0.35/100 and 0.42/100 person-year respectively, and among VaD cases, 0.34/100 and 0.36/100 person-year respectively. For both AD and VaD cases, their mortality increased with age. Region, gender and age were more significant to survival of AD cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>One major subtype of dementia, AD, among elderly urban and rural residents in Beijing, has a different mortality and epidemiological pattern from VaD.</p>