Ten Years after the National Alzheimer’s Plan: Dementia Remains a Hidden Syndrome in France

• Published in: The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease 2023, Vol.10 (3), p.600-606
• Main Authors: Dartigues, J.-F., Avila-Funes, J. A., Letenneur, L., Meillon, C., Helmer, C., Amieva, H., Pérès, Karine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - epidemiology; Brief Report; Dementia - diagnosis; Dementia - epidemiology; Dementia - therapy; France - epidemiology; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Life Sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Santé publique et épidémiologie
• ISSN: 2274-5807; 2426-0266
• DOI: 10.14283/jpad.2023.24

Ten years after the implementation of the French Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease (2008–2012), the present study aimed at describing the situation of the persons living with dementia in terms of diagnosis and high-risk situations (living alone, continuing driving, inability to handle budget and to manage medication). Among the 115 dementia cases followed-up in the AMI population-based cohort on aging in 2018 (i.e. ten years after the launch of the Plan), the prevalence of under-diagnosis was similar to the one estimated ten years earlier (53.0% vs. 55.6%). Almost all cases (95.3%) were concerned by high-risk situations (61.2% were unable to handle finances, 48.2% were living alone, 27.1% continued driving). Being diagnosed as demented was not associated with a lower frequency of high-risk situations, excepting for driving (16.7% vs. 37.2%). Ten years after the beginning of the French Alzheimer’s Plan, dementia remains a hidden syndrome, with a frequent inadequate management of high-risk situations.