“Even when signs such as memory loss begin to appear, many elderly Americans with dementia forgo receiving a medical evaluation, a new study finds.

“As many as 1.8 million Americans over the age of 70 with dementia are not evaluated for cognitive symptoms by a medical provider, found University of Michigan researchers in a study published in the online publication “Neurology.”

“Two hundred ninety-seven of 845 subjects in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS), a nationally representative community-based cohort study, met criteria for dementia after a detailed in-person study examination; yet, of those who met the criteria for dementia 55.2% reported no history of a clinical cognitive evaluation by a physician.

“And early evaluation is important, as it can help families make plans for care, help with day-to-day tasks including observed medication administration, and watch for future problems that can occur, says study author Dr. Vikas Kotagal, who sees patients at the University of Michigan Health System and is an assistant professor in the U-M Medical School’s Department of Neurology, in a statement.”

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