Is dementia life-threatening?
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In the past, dementia wasn't thought of as a life-threatening condition. More recently, however, experts have come to the conclusion that dementia should be considered a terminal illness. The nature of the condition causes decreased brain function until it progresses to the point of failure, resulting in death. In cases of Alzheimer's disease, patients generally live for about a decade after being diagnosed, but some people make it twice as long as that. It depends on several factors, including your general health and how actively you use your brain.
In the past, dementia wasn't thought of as a life-threatening condition. More recently, however, experts have come to the conclusion that dementia should be considered a terminal illness. The nature of the condition causes decreased brain function... More -
Jamie McGinn answered:Dementia is considered a terminal diagnoses, however depending on the type of dementia, prognosis varies greatly. Pick's disease is a form of dementia that is very aggressive and life expectancy is short - 1-2 years. Vascular dementia is often due to a stroke; Alzheimer’s dementia has a rather long life expectancy but eventually the brain forgets the importance of nutrition, forgets how to swallow, and it is these two things that often lead to death in dementia. Also, if this does not become a problem, there are other factors which can cause death in dementia - falls associated with lack of safety awareness. A fall can cause a head injury or a major fracture such as a hip fracture. Dementia can cause people to take medication inaccurately. I could go on and on. But the big picture is that dementia is terminal.
Dementia is considered a terminal diagnoses, however depending on the type of dementia, prognosis varies greatly. Pick's disease is a form of dementia that is very aggressive and life expectancy is short - 1-2 years. Vascular dementia is often due... More
