OBJECTIVETo identify the mortality and epidemiological pattern of dementia and its various major subtypes among urban and rural senior residents in Beijing.

METHODSBased on Beijing's dementia prevalence survey among residents aged 55 years and above in 1997, respondents were selected by stratified multiple-stage cluster sampling and 12 urban communities and 17 rural village communities were randomly sampled then follow-up in 2001. COX regression was used to analyze relative risks controlling confounding factors on deaths of dementia cases.

RESULTSThe mortality of dement patients in the 55-64 age-group was 0.82/100 person-year. The age-standardized mortality of dement cases was 0.90/100 person-year. The mortality in the 65 and above age-group was 1.44/100 person-year, and the age-standardized mortality was 1.56/100 person-year. Among AD cases, the above two mortalities were 0.35/100 and 0.42/100 person-year respectively, and among VaD cases, 0.34/100 and 0.36/100 person-year respectively. For both AD and VaD cases, their mortality increased with age. Region, gender and age were more significant to survival of AD cases.

CONCLUSIONOne major subtype of dementia, AD, among elderly urban and rural residents in Beijing, has a different mortality and epidemiological pattern from VaD.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; mortality ; Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Dementia ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; mortality ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; mortality ; Rural Population ; statistics & numerical data ; Urban Population ; statistics & numerical data