Risk of cognitive decline in the elderly following surgery
It’s generally assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other problems in cognition (reasoning) following surgery.
Results from a study at Washington University, in St. Louis, Missouri suggest otherwise.
First, the details.
- The medical records of 575 older adults, some with very mild or mild dementia were reviewed.
- They were divided into 3 groups.
- Those with noncardiac surgery
- With illness
- Neither
- They were followed long-term for cognitive function before and after surgery and illness.
And, the results.
- Changes in cognition didn’t differ among the 3 groups.
- However, demented participants declined more markedly than nondemented participants.
- Of the initially nondemented participants, 23% progressed to dementia; but this wasn’t more common after surgery or illness.
The bottom line?
Dr. John Morris concluded, “There has been a widespread belief that the memory and thinking abilities of patients with early Alzheimer’s disease may worsen as a consequence of surgery, but the evidence from this study does not support that belief.”
11/21/09 20:15 JR