Optical coherence tomography angiography indicates subclinical retinal disease in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are neuroinflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Patients suffer from recurring relapses and it is unclear whether relapse-independent disease activity occurs and whether this is of clinical relevance. OBJECTIVE: To detect disease-specific alterations of the retinal vasculature that reflect disease activity during NMOSD. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 16 patients with NMOSD, 21 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and 21 healthy controls using retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), measurement of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) serum levels, and assessment of visual acuity. RESULTS: Patients with NMOSD but not multiple sclerosis revealed lower foveal thickness (FT) (p = 0.02) measures and an increase of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) (p = 0.02) compared to healthy controls independent to optic neuritis. Reduced FT (p = 0.01), enlarged FAZ areas (p = 0.0001), and vessel loss of the superficial vascular complex (p = 0.01) were linked to higher serum GFAP levels and superficial vessel loss was associated with worse visual performance in patients with NMOSD irrespective of optic neuritis. CONCLUSION: Subclinical parafoveal retinal vessel loss might occur during NMOSD and might be linked to astrocyte damage and poor visual performance. OCT-A may be a tool to study subclinical disease activity during NMOSD.

Nurses' experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

AIM: To describe nurses' experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and management and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. DESIGN: The study has a qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: The 44 nurses who had worked in an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenema in 2014 and 2015 were invited by email to respond to a questionnaire. The qualitative, open-ended answers were analysed using a thematic analysis. Data have been coded systematically, with the identification of semantic patterns presented in four themes. RESULTS: The themes are as follows: personal health management-a way to feel safe and secure for delegates and affiliates; pre-deployment training-crucial for a joint value base and future collaboration; the importance of a professional democratic approach and being a good role model; and the value of timely in-depth knowledge transfer of experienced former delegates.

Higher education as a platform for capacity building to address violence against women and promote gender equality: the Swedish example.

Violence against women is an acknowledged public and global health problem which has adverse consequences for women's health. Education, especially higher education, has long been identified as an important arena for addressing the problem and promoting gender equality. Two measures recently put in place in the Swedish higher education have brought the role of the sector into focus. The first is the inclusion of gender equality as a measurable outcome in quality assurance in higher education. The second measure is the amendment of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance to include mandatory knowledge of VAW in the degree programme of seven selected relevant professional groups. The potentials of both measures to positively contribute to the gender equality discourse, as well as improving capacity building for the public health workforce who encounter VAW, are discussed.

Global nursing in an Ebola viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak: before, during and after deployment.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are on the forefront and play a key role in global disaster responses. Nevertheless, they are often not prepared for the challenges they are facing and research is scarce regarding the nursing skills required for first responders during a disaster situation. OBJECTIVES: To investigate how returnee nursing staff experienced deployment before, during and after having worked for the Red Cross at an Ebola Treatment Center in Kenema, West Africa, and to supply knowledge on how to better prepare and support staff for viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional approach. Questionnaires were administered to nurses having worked with patients suffering from Ebola in 2014 and 2015. Data collection covered aspects of pre-, during and post-deployment on clinical training, personal health, stress management, leadership styles, socio-cultural exposure and knowledge transfer, as well as attitudes from others. Data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS: Response-rate was 88%: forty-four nurses from 15 different countries outside West Africa answered the questionnaire. The respondents identified the following needs for improvement: increased mental health and psychosocial support and hands-on coping strategies with focus on pre- and post-deployment; more pre-deployment task-oriented clinical training; and workload reduction, as exhaustion is a risk for safety. CONCLUSIONS: This study supplies knowledge on how to better prepare health care staff for future viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks and other disasters. Participants were satisfied with their pre-deployment physical health preparation, whereas they stressed the importance of mental health support combined with psychosocial support after deployment. Furthermore, additional pre-clinical training was requested.

Pharmacological Profile of BI 847325, an Orally Bioavailable, ATP-Competitive Inhibitor of MEK and Aurora Kinases.

Although the MAPK pathway is frequently deregulated in cancer, inhibitors targeting RAF or MEK have so far shown clinical activity only in BRAF- and NRAS-mutant melanoma. Improvements in efficacy may be possible by combining inhibition of mitogenic signal transduction with inhibition of cell-cycle progression. We have studied the preclinical pharmacology of BI 847325, an ATP-competitive dual inhibitor of MEK and Aurora kinases. Potent inhibition of MEK1/2 and Aurora A/B kinases by BI 847325 was demonstrated in enzymatic and cellular assays. Equipotent effects were observed in BRAF-mutant cells, whereas in KRAS-mutant cells, MEK inhibition required higher concentrations than Aurora kinase inhibition. Daily oral administration of BI 847325 at 10 mg/kg showed efficacy in both BRAF- and KRAS-mutant xenograft models. Biomarker analysis suggested that this effect was primarily due to inhibition of MEK in BRAF-mutant models but of Aurora kinase in KRAS-mutant models. Inhibition of both MEK and Aurora kinase in KRAS-mutant tumors was observed when BI 847325 was administered once weekly at 70 mg/kg. Our studies indicate that BI 847325 is effective in in vitro and in vivo models of cancers with BRAF and KRAS mutation. These preclinical data are discussed in the light of the results of a recently completed clinical phase I trial assessing safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of BI 847325 in patients with cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(10); 2388-98. ©2016 AACR.

Time trends in 20 years of medication use in older adults: Findings from three elderly cohorts in Stockholm, Sweden.

New drugs and expanded drug indications are constantly being introduced. Welfare states strive to provide equity in drug treatment for all of its citizens and todaýs healthcare systems spend financial resources on drugs for the elderly in a higher rate than for any other age group. Drug utilization in elderly persons has an impact in health and wellbeing in older people. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: It was to describe the changes in medication use including people aged 78 years and over regardless of residence and other characteristics over 20 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 4304 participants in three population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in the Kungsholmen area of central Stockholm, Sweden. The participant's current drug utilization was reviewed by physicians following standardized protocols. Data were statistical analyzed. Logistic regression models was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for use of analgesics and psychotropic drugs in the cohorts of 2001 and 2007, controlling for age, gender, education and cognition. THE PRINCIPAL RESULTS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Results shows that the prevalence of medication use and polypharmacy in older adults has increased dramatically the late 1980s to the 2000s in central Stockholm, Sweden. In particular, the use of analgesics increased significantly, while some drug groups decreased, i.e., antipsychotics. Women used more medication than men in all three cohorts. Older adults living in service buildings used the largest amount of drugs in 1987, whereas those living in institutions were the most frequent users in 2001 and 2007.

Cohort Effects in the Prevalence and Survival of People with Dementia in a Rural Area in Northern Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that trends in cardiovascular risk may result in a decrease in age-specific prevalence of dementia. Studies in rural areas are rare. OBJECTIVES: To study cohort effects in dementia prevalence and survival of people with dementia in a Swedish rural area. METHODS: Participants were from the 1995-1998 Nordanstig Project (NP) (n = 303) and the 2001-2003 Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Nordanstig (SNAC-N) (n = 384). Overall 6-year dementia prevalence and mortality in NP and SNAC-N were compared for people 78 years and older. Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dementia occurrence using the NP study population as the reference group. Cox regression models were used to analyze time to death. RESULTS: The crude prevalence of dementia was 21.8% in NP and 17.4% in SNAC-N. When the NP cohort was used as the reference group, the age- and gender-adjusted OR of dementia was 0.71 (95% CI 0.48-1.04) in SNAC-N; the OR was 0.47 (0.24-0.90) for men and 0.88 (0.54-1.44) for women. In the extended model, the OR of dementia was significantly lower in SNAC-N than in the NP cohort as a whole (0.63; 0.39-0.99) and in men (0.34; 0.15-0.79), but not in women (0.81; 0.46-1.44). The Cox regression models indicated that the hazard ratio of dying was lower in the SNAC-N than NP population. CONCLUSIONS: Trends toward a lower prevalence of dementia in high-income countries seem to be evident in this Swedish rural area, at least in men.

Horizontal and vertical targeting: a population-based comparison of public eldercare services in urban and rural areas of Sweden.

The concepts of target efficiency can be used to assess the extent to which service provision is in line with the needs of the population. Horizontal target efficiency denotes the extent to which those deemed to need a service receive it and vertical target efficiency is the corresponding extent to which those who receive services actually need them. The aim of this study was to assess the target efficiency of the Swedish eldercare system and to establish whether target efficiencies differ in different geographical areas such as large urban, midsize urban and rural areas. Vertical efficiency was measured by studying those people who received eldercare services and was expressed as a percentage of those who received services who were functionally dependent. To measure horizontal target efficiency, data collected at baseline in the longitudinal population study SNAC (Swedish National study on Aging and Care) during the years 2001-2004 were used. The horizontal efficiency was calculated as the percentage of functionally dependent persons who received services. Functional dependency was measured as having difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and/or personal activities of daily living (PADL). Services included long-term municipal eldercare services (LTC). Horizontal target efficiency for the public LTC system was reasonably high in all three geographical areas, when using dependency in PADL as the measure of need (70-90 %), but efficiency was lower when the less restrictive measure of IADL dependency was used (40-50 %). In both cases, the target efficiency was markedly higher in the large urban and the rural areas than in the midsize urban areas. Vertical target efficiency showed the same pattern-it was almost 100 % in all areas for IADL dependency, but only 50-60 % for PADL dependency. Household composition differed in the areas studied as did the way public long-term care was provided to people living alone as compared to those co-habiting.

Incidence of ADL Disability in Older Persons, Physical Activities as a Protective Factor and the Need for Informal and Formal Care--Results from the SNAC-N Project.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine 1) the incidence of disability in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), in persons 78 years and older 2) explore whether being physical active earlier is a significant predictor of being disability free at follow-up and 3) describe the amount of informal and formal care in relation to ADL-disability. METHODS: Data were used from a longitudinal community-based study in Nordanstig (SNAC-N), a part of the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care (SNAC). To study objectives 1) and 2) all ADL-independent participants at baseline (N = 307) were included; for objective 3) all participants 78 years and older were included (N = 316). Data were collected at baseline and at 3- and 6-year follow-ups. ADL-disability was defined as a need for assistance in one or more activities. Informal and formal care were measured using the Resource utilization in Dementia (RUD)-instrument. RESULTS: The incidence rates for men were similar in the age groups 78-81 and 84 years and older, 42.3 vs. 42.5/1000 person-years. For women the incidence rate for ADL-disability increased significantly from the age group 78-81 to the age group 84 years and older, 20.8 vs.118.3/1000 person-years. In the age group 78-81 years, being physically active earlier (aOR 6.2) and during the past 12 month (aOR 2.9) were both significant preventive factors for ADL-disability. Both informal and formal care increased with ADL-disability and the amount of informal care was greater than formal care. The incidence rate for ADL-disability increases with age for women and being physically active is a protective factor for ADL-disability. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate for ADL-disability increases with age for women, and being physical active is a protective factor for ADL-disability.

Older people's experience of utilisation and administration of medicines in a health- and social care context.

BACKGROUND: People living at home who lack ability to manage their medicine are entitled to assistance to improve adherence provided by a home care assistant employed by social care. AIM: The aim was to describe how older people with chronic diseases, living at home, experience the use and assistance of administration of medicines in the context of social care. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study. METHODS: Ten participants (age 65+) living at home were interviewed in the participants' own homes. Latent content analysis was used. FINDINGS: The assistance eases daily life with regard to practical matters and increases adherence to a medicine regimen. There were mixed feelings about being dependent on assistance; it interferes with self-sufficiency at a time of health transition. Participants were balancing empowerment and a dubious perception of the home care assistants' knowledge of medicine and safety. Physicians' and district nurses' professional knowledge was a safety guarantee for the medicine process. CONCLUSIONS: Assistance eases daily life and medicine regimen adherence. Dependence on assistance may affect self-sufficiency. Perceived safety varied relating to home care assistants' knowledge of medicine. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A well-functioning medicine assistance is crucial to enable older people to remain at home. A person-centred approach to health- and social care delivery is efficient and improve outcome for the recipient of care.

Temporal trends of functional dependence and survival among older adults from 1991 to 2010 in Sweden: toward a healthier aging.

BACKGROUND: Declines in functional dependence among older adults were observed before the 1990s, but there is uncertainty about subsequent trends. Our study aimed to verify the temporal trends in disability during 1991-2010 in an older Swedish population and to estimate the associated changes in survival. METHODS: Functional status in octogenarians and nonagenarians was assessed at seven occasions with intervals of 2-3 years. Sample size varied at each assessment with an average of 646 (range 212-1096). Disability was defined as difficulty in one or more of personal activities of daily living. We compared prevalence and incidence, as well as mortality, and survival associated with disability over the 20-year period. RESULTS: Sex-standardized prevalence of disability remained steady over time with a tendency toward a gradual decline, and a statistically significant decrease was present among nonagenarians. Sex-standardized cumulative incidence also remained steady. The proportion of people with prevalent disability who died <3 years remained stable, as did the survival time of people with incident disability. In contrast, among nondisabled persons, 3-year mortality decreased significantly, and for octogenarians median survival time was 1.3 years longer at the more recent assessment than a decade earlier. CONCLUSIONS: Both prevalence and incidence of disability remained stable over the last two decades in this urban Swedish population, with a trend toward a slow decline. Mortality remained steady among disabled persons but decreased among persons without disability, suggesting that increased life expectancy during the last two decades may be essentially driven by longer lives of functionally independent people.

Unlicensed personnel administering medications to older persons living at home: a challenge for social and care services.

BACKGROUND: Administration of medication to care recipients is delegated to home-care assistants working in the municipal social care, alongside responsibility for providing personal assistance for older people. Home-care assistants have practical administration skills, but lack formal medical knowledge. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore how home-care assistants perceive administration of medication to older people living at home, as delegated to them in the context of social care. METHODS: Four focus groups consisting of 19 home-care assistants were conducted. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: According to home-care assistants, health and social care depends on delegation arrangements to function effectively, but in the first place it relieves a burden for district nurses. Even when the delegation had expired, administration of medication continued, placing the statutes of regulation in a subordinate position. There was low awareness among home-care assistants about the content of the statutes of delegation. Accepting delegation to administer medications has become an implicit prerequisite for social care work in the municipality. CONCLUSIONS: Accepting the delegation to administer medication was inevitable and routine. In practice, the regulating statute is made subordinate and consequently patient safety can be threatened. The organisation of health and social care relies on the delegation arrangement to meet the needs of a growing number of older home-care recipients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This is a crucial task which management within both the healthcare professions and municipal social care needs to address, to bridge the gap between statutes and practice, to create arenas for mutual collaboration in the care recipients' best interest and to ensure patient safety.

Time trends in prevalence of activities of daily living (ADL) disability and survival: comparing two populations (aged 78+ years) living in a rural area in Sweden.

The aim was to study time trends in prevalence of disability in ADL and survival among men and women 78 years and older comparing two cohorts. The study was a time trend study based on two population-based community cohorts, the Nordanstig Project (NP), collected 1995-1998 and the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Nordanstig (SNAC-N), collected 2001-2003. The participants were people aged 78 years and older from the NP cohort (N=303) and from the SNAC-N cohort (N=406). All were clinically examined by physicians and nurses using standardized protocols. Disability was defined as a need for assistance in one or more ADL activities. The prevalence of disability and survival were compared using logistic and Cox models. The prevalence of ADL disability was stable for men, while women became more disabled in ADL during the time period, OR 2.36 (1.12-4.94). There was no significant difference in survival time between the cohorts in either ADL disabled persons or non-disabled persons. There was a tendency for increased survival for non-disabled persons in SNAC-N compared with NP, although not significant; this was particularly true for women. In general, women survived longer than men did regardless of whether they were ADL disabled or not. The time trends for ADL disability found in the study show that ADL disability had increased in women but not in men. More studies are needed to identify risk factors for ADL disability with a view to preventing it in time.

Twenty-year changes in dementia occurrence suggest decreasing incidence in central Stockholm, Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether prevalence, survival, and incidence of dementia have changed from 1987-1994 to 2001-2008 in Stockholm, Sweden. METHODS: This study is based on 2 cross-sectional surveys of people aged 75 years or over conducted in central Stockholm: the Kungsholmen Project (KP) (1987-1989, n = 1,700) and the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K) (2001-2004, n = 1,575). In both surveys we diagnosed dementia according to DSM-III-R criteria, following the identical diagnostic procedure. Death certificates were used to determine survival status of KP participants as of December 1994 and SNAC-K participants as of June 2008. We used logistic and Cox models to compare prevalence and survival, controlling for major confounders. We inferred incidence of dementia according to its relationship with prevalence and survival. RESULTS: At baseline, 225 subjects in KP and 298 in SNAC-K were diagnosed with dementia. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence of dementia was 17.5% (12.8% in men; 19.2% in women) in KP and 17.9% (10.8% in men; 20.5% in women) in SNAC-K. The adjusted odds ratio of dementia in SNAC-K vs KP was 1.17 (95% confidence interval 0.95-1.46). The multiadjusted hazard ratio of death in SNAC-K vs KP was 0.71 (0.57-0.88) in subjects with dementia, 0.68 (0.59-0.79) in those without dementia, and 0.66 (0.59-0.74) in all participants. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of dementia was stable from the late 1980s to the early 2000s in central Stockholm, Sweden, whereas survival of patients with dementia increased. These results suggest that incidence of dementia may have decreased during this period.

District nurses' perceptions of the concept of delegating administration of medication to home care aides working in the municipality: a discrepancy between legal regulations and practice.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe district nurses' perceptions of the concept of delegating medication management to unlicensed personnel working in municipal social care. BACKGROUND: The delegation of medical tasks involves responsibility and is regulated by law to avoid damage and injuries and to protect the patient. The delegation of the administration of medication is a multifaceted task. The delegating district nurse is responsible for the outcome and should also follow up the delegated task. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study, involving semi-structured interviews and content analysis. METHODS: Twenty district nurses were interviewed. The interviews were audio taped. The data were collected from April 2009-August 2010 and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: The findings revealed that the statutes of delegation appear to be incompatible with practice, however, mostly due to lack of time. Communication between district nurses and home care aides, as well as tutoring, was regarded as important. The district nurses found it imperative to be available to the home care aides and made an effort to create a trusting atmosphere. CONCLUSIONS: District nurses cannot manage their workload without delegating the administration of medication in the present organisational model of health care and social care. The statutes regarding delegating medicine tasks are also cumbersome and difficult to incorporate for district nurses who are responsible for the delegation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings elucidate the current situation as regards district nurses and the need to delegate the administration of medication. Health care and social care for home-dwelling older patients, as well as statutes, needs to be evaluated and updated to meet and be prepared for the increasing demands of care.

Morbidity and physical functioning in old age: differences according to living area.

OBJECTIVES: To describe differences in morbidity and functional status according to living area. DESIGN: Community-based survey. SETTING: A community-based prospective cohort, the Kungsholmen-Nordanstig Project. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 75 and older living in an urban area of central Stockholm (n=1,222) and in the rural community of Nordanstig in northern Sweden (n=919). MEASUREMENTS: Physicians clinically examined all participants using the same standardized protocols in both living areas; trained nurses directly assessed disability. RESULTS: Cardiovascular disease was the most common disorder in both living areas (39.9% in the urban area and 45.2% in the rural area). There were great area differences in the prevalence of stroke (7.4% and 14.0%), diabetes mellitus 6.3% and 16.1%), and Parkinson's disease (1.0% and 3.7%). It was more common to have two or more diseases than no diseases in the rural area than in the urban area (odds ratio=1.9, 95% confidence interval=1.4-2.4). Significant living area differences (urban vs rural) in population attributable risk (PAR) was found for disability due to stroke (5.6 vs 32.2), diabetes mellitus (1.2 vs 6.1), fractures (1.4 vs 10.7), and hearing impairment (8.7 vs 22.0). CONCLUSION: Differences were found in disability, morbidity, and disease patterns according to living area. The rural elderly population was more disabled and had more diseases than the urban elderly population, despite being slightly younger than the urban cohort. There were significant area differences in the PAR of how specific chronic conditions influenced the risk of disability.

Epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease: occurrence, determinants, and strategies toward intervention.

More than 25 million people in the world today are affected by dementia, most suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In both developed and developing nations, Alzheimer's disease has had tremendous impact on the affected individuals, caregivers, and society. The etiological factors, other than older age and genetic susceptibility, remain to be determined. Nevertheless, increasing evidence strongly points to the potential risk roles of vascular risk factors and disorders (eg, cigarette smoking, midlife high blood pressure and obesity, diabetes, and cerebrovascular lesions) and the possible beneficial roles of psychosocial factors (eg, high education, active social engagement, physical exercise, and mentally stimulating activity) in the pathogenetic process and clinical manifestation of the dementing disorders. The long-term multidomain interventions toward the optimal control of multiple vascular risk factors and the maintenance of socially integrated lifestyles and mentally stimulating activities are expected to reduce the risk or postpone the clinical onset of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Major findings from the Kungsholmen Project.

The aging of the population is a worldwide phenomenon, and studying age-related diseases has become a relevant issue from both a scientific and a public health perspective. This review summarises the major findings concerning prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias from a population-based study, the Kungsholmen Project. The study addresses risk- and protective factors for AD and dementia from a lifetime perspective: at birth, during childhood, in adult life, and in old age. Although many aspects of the dementias are still unclear, some risk factors have been identified and interesting hypotheses have been suggested for other putative risk or protective factors. At the moment it is also possible to delineate some preventative strategies for dementia.

Time use and costs of institutionalised elderly persons with or without dementia: results from the Nordanstig cohort in the Kungsholmen Project--a population based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: The aging of the population has become a worldwide phenomenon. This leads to increased demand for services and with limited resources it is important to find a way to estimate how resources can be match to those with greatest need. AIMS: To analyse time use and costs in institutional care in relation to different levels of cognitive and functional capacity for elderly persons. METHODS: The population consisted of all institutionalised inhabitants, 75 + years, living in a rural community (n = 176). They were clinically examined by physicians and interviewed by nurses. Staff and informal care-giving time was examined with the RUD (Resource Utilization in Dementia) instrument. RESULTS: Tobit regression analyses showed that having dementia increased the amount of ADL care time with 0.9 h when compared to those not having dementia, whereas each loss of an ADL function (0-6) added 0.6 h of ADL care time. Analysing the total care time use, the presence of dementia added more than 9 h, while each loss of one ADL function added 2.9 h. There were some informal care contributions, however with no correlation to severity in dependency. The estimated cost for institutional care increased with more than 85% for people being dependent in 5-6 ADL activities compared to persons with no functional dependency, and with 30% for persons with dementia compared to the non-demented. CONCLUSION: There is a variation in time use in institutional settings due to differences in ADL dependency but also whether dementia is present or not. This variation has implications for costs of institutional care.

Rethinking the dementia diagnoses in a population-based study: what is Alzheimer's disease and what is vascular dementia?. A study from the kungsholmen project.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the hypothesis that older adults often are affected by more than one disease, making the differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) difficult. METHODS: Incident dementia cases (n = 308) from a population-based longitudinal study of people 75+ years were investigated. The DSM-III-R criteria were used for the clinical diagnosis of dementia. Data on vascular disorders (hypertension, cerebrovascular and ischemic heart diseases, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes) as well as type of onset/course of dementia were used retrospectively to reclassify dementias. RESULTS: Only 47% of the AD cases were reclassified as pure AD without any vascular disorder. Among subjects with AD and with a vascular component, cerebrovascular disease was the most common (41%). Only 25% of VaD were reclassified as pure VaD. Further, 26% of the pure AD subjects developed a vascular disorder in the following 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Both vascular and degenerative mechanisms may often contribute to the expression of dementia among the elderly. Most of the AD cases have vascular involvements, and pure dementia types in very old subjects constitute only a minority of dementia cases.