Comorbidity profile of dementia patients in primary care: Are they sicker?

OBJECTIVES: To compare the medical comorbidity of older patients with and without dementia in primary care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Wishard Health Services, which includes a university-affiliated, urban public hospital and seven community-based primary care practice centers in Indianapolis. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand thirteen patients aged 65 and older attending seven primary care centers in Indianapolis, Indiana. MEASUREMENTS: An expert panel diagnosed dementia using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, criteria. Comorbidity was assessed using 10 physician-diagnosed chronic comorbid conditions and the Chronic Disease Score (CDS). RESULTS: Patients with dementia attending primary care have on average 2.4 chronic conditions and receive 5.1 medications. Approximately 50% of dementia patients in this setting are exposed to at least one anticholinergic medication, and 20% are prescribed at least one psychotropic medication. After adjusting for patients' age, race, and sex, patients with and without dementia have a similar level of comorbidity (mean number of chronic medical conditions, 2.4 vs 2.3, P=.66; average CDS, 5.8 vs 6.2, P=.83). CONCLUSION: Multiple medical comorbid conditions are common in older adults with and without dementia in primary care. Despite their cholinergic deficit, a substantial proportion of patients with dementia are exposed to anticholinergic medications. Models of care that incorporate this medical complexity are needed to improve the treatment of dementia in primary care.