Survival After Dementia Diagnosis: Variation by Race/Ethnicity and Geographic Factors

Abstract

This study describes racial and ethnic variation in dementia diagnosis and survival time between diagnosis and death for Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years and older who died in 2018 (n=1,998,282). The prevalence of diagnosed dementia was higher among non-Hispanic white (45.7%), Black (45.5%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (44.1%) decedents compared to Asian American/Pacific Islander (42.7%), and Hispanic (38.5%) decedents. Median survival time in years was shorter for American Indian/Alaska Native (2.51, IQR 0.7-6.0) and white (2.85, IQR 0.8-6.3) beneficiaries, and longer for Asian American/Pacific Islander (3.36, IQR 1.0-7.3), Black (3.38, IQR 0.9-7.4), and Hispanic (3.83, IQR 1-8.2) beneficiaries. Median survival time also varied by geography and was shortest for Hispanic decedents in Arizona (2.37, IQR 0.6-6.0) and New Mexico (2.92, IQR 0.8-7.0) compared to New Jersey (4.85, IQR 1.5-8.9) and Puerto Rico (5.45, IQR 1.1-12.8). Among Black decedents, survival was longest in New Jersey (3.80, 1.1-7.9) and Arkansas (4.22, 1.0-8.5).