The sign of dementia that appears 15 YEARS before early-onset diagnosis

Struggling and being less productive at work may be a warning sign of early-onset dementia more than a decade before diagnosis, according to a study.

Early-onset dementia is when the debilitating disease occurs before age 65 and causes early deterioration of the patient’s emotional and professional lives. Most of the time there is no obvious cause.

Young patients often wait years for diagnosis because the disease is not normally sought in people under the age of 60.

But now researchers in Finland say the condition can be detected up to 15 years ago by tracking job performance.

In a study of nearly 800 early-onset dementia patients and 7,000 healthy individuals, researchers found that those with early-onset dementia earned an average of $13,800 less per year than they did fifteen years before diagnosis; They said it was because they were less productive.

Overall, researchers estimated that patients lost approximately $86,000 in wages over the 12-year study due to the condition.

The neurologist who conducted the research, Dr. Eino Solje said: ‘Early-onset dementia affects people in their most productive years and is associated with reduced ability to work, increased unemployment and leaving work earlier than planned.

‘These changes could reduce household income and contribute to wider economic impact.

‘Our study found an association between reduced work productivity and early-onset dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis.’

He added: ‘These findings may be partly explained by delays in diagnosis, which can prolong the duration of unrecognized symptoms and highlight the deleterious, long-term socioeconomic impact of early-onset dementia.’

Many people with early-onset dementia say their symptoms started at work. Warning signs include having trouble remembering appointments or learning how to do something they’ve been doing for a long time. Some also have trouble concentrating or following conversations.

In later stages, patients also complain of severe mood swings, deepening confusion about time, place and life events, and suspicion of family or friends.

There is no cure for the disease, but there are medications that can help slow its progression.

Everyone experiences dementia differently. Use this checklist to help you note your symptoms before talking to your doctor.

It is estimated that about 200,000 Americans suffer from early-onset dementia, but that number is rising. The latest health insurance data shows that claims for this condition increased by 200 percent between 2013 and 2017.

inside study published in the journal NeurologyResearchers followed 793 patients with early-onset dementia for 12 years before diagnosis.

In total, 421 patients were struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, while 179 had frontotemporal dementia and nearly 200 patients had other types of dementia, including vascular dementia.

They were matched with 7,000 healthy individuals of similar age, background and salary during the same period. In the analysis, the data was organized by factors that could affect earnings, such as wages and medical conditions.

Broken down by dementia type, the researchers found that those with early-onset Alzheimer’s had lower earnings than their healthy peers in the six years before diagnosis.

Those with frontotemporal dementia had lower earnings than they did 11 years before their diagnosis.

The study did not conclusively prove that lower wages compared to peers indicate a person has dementia, only that it is a potential warning sign. There may be other factors behind the results.

It’s unclear what causes early-onset dementia, but scientists say about one in ten people have genes that increase the risk. Those who have relatives with this disease are at higher risk.

Other factors, such as early stroke or brain damage from excessive alcohol use, can also increase a person’s risk of disease.

The disease is diagnosed by doctors who evaluate patients for warning signs of the disease.

Doctors say some patients continue to work for years after diagnosis, but others stop working.

People with early-onset dementia live about nine years after diagnosis.