BMJ  2006;332:916 (15 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7546.916

Letter

Benefits from detecting dementia are dubious

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—The diagnosis of dementia remains an unattractive achievement in primary care when the benefits are so unclear.^{1 2} The authors of the paper and the accompanying editorial say that patients are being denied optimal drugs and psychosocial interventions. The case for prescribing antidementia drugs is hardly overwhelming: they are relatively ineffective and expensive. Neither does a diagnosis of dementia open the door to a series of available social services, as the social needs are so dependent on other physical illnesses whose course is unpredictable.

No mention is made of any drawbacks of dementia diagnosis—how many forgetful elderly people want to be labelled as "demented"? I need to see more evidence of benefit before I start looking hard for this diagnosis.

South Hermitage Surgery, South Hermitage, Shrewsbury SY3 7JS lauriedavis@doctors.org.uk

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Competing interests: None declared.

1. Downs M, Turner S, Bryans M, Wilcock J, Keady J, Levin E, et al. Effectiveness of educational interventions in improving detection and management of dementia in primary care: cluster randomised controlled study. BMJ 2006;332: 692-6. (25 March.)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. England E. Improving the management of dementia. BMJ 2006;332: 681-2. (25 March.)[Free Full Text]

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