10% of people with dementia may actually have different disease, research suggests

10% of people with dementia may actually have different disease, research suggests
Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Ashleigh Hollowell; 2/1/24
Certain cases of dementia — potentially up to 10% — could instead be undiagnosed liver disease and related neurological issues, according to a study published Jan. 31 in JAMA. Additionally, researchers believe that the 10% of undiagnosed liver disease and brain dysfunction could possibly be resolved with treatment. For the study, researchers analyzed a decade of data — spanning 2009 to 2019 — from 177,422 veterans who had a diagnosis of dementia, and looked for a high Fibrosis-4 score, which is a sign of advanced liver fibrosis that can lead to cirrhosis.