If you don’t ask (about memory), they probably won’t tell
If elders do self-report memory problems, their quality of life is probably suffering.
An MMSE score of <24 has been widely used as an indication of the presence of cognitive impairment in population-based studies.12 However, research has shown that MMSE scores are affected by age, education, and cultural background; this may explain why the MMSE by itself is not sufficient to diagnose dementia.12
Future studies should focus on clinically relevant outcomes
Further prospective studies in GP settings are needed to examine the potential implications of subjective memory complaints. We suggest that in future studies, clinically relevant outcomes—such as death, nursing home placement, medication usage, or health care usage—be used as possible correlating factors.
Correspondence
Frans Boch Waldorff, MD, PhD, Research Unit of General Practice, Kommunehospitalet, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014 Copenhagen, Denmark; fbw@gpract.ku.dk
