scitechdaily.com – Many people with dementia endure long delays, often over 3 years, before receiving a diagnosis, with even longer waits for younger patients.
A new study led by researchers at UCL reveals that, on average, people with dementia are diagnosed about 3.5 years after symptoms first appear. For those with early-onset dementia, the wait is even longer, stretching to approximately 4.1 years.
Published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, this study is the first comprehensive review and meta-analysis to examine global data on how long it takes to diagnose dementia.
The research team analyzed 13 previously published studies conducted in Europe, the United States, Australia, and China, covering a total of 30,257 individuals.
Their focus was on calculating the average time between when symptoms were initially noticed (as reported by patients or family members through interviews or medical records) and when an official dementia diagnosis was made.
Global Scope and Diagnostic Gaps
Lead author Dr. Vasiliki Orgeta (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said:
“Timely diagnosis of dementia remains a major global challenge, shaped by a complex set of factors, and specific healthcare strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Other studies estimate that only 50-65% of cases are ever diagnosed in high-income countries, with many countries having even lower diagnostic rates.
“Timely diagnosis can improve access to treatments and for some people prolong the time living with mild dementia before symptoms worsen.”
When combining data from 10 of the included studies, the researchers confirmed that the average delay between early symptom recognition and formal diagnosis is 3.5 years.
This delay increases to 4.1 years for early-onset cases, with some groups facing even longer diagnostic timelines …
