Although there are no treatments that can alter the progression of the diseases that cause dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK commissioned the Office of Health Economics to model the effects of a potential disease-modifying treatment.
The model looked at two scenarios; delaying the onset of dementia and slowing the progression of dementia.
Delaying the onset of dementia
We created a model to estimate the effect of an intervention that would delay the onset of dementia by alternately two and five years, and would become available in 2020.
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Slowing the progression of dementia
We also used the model to estimate what would happen if, from 2020, we could slow progression of dementia by 25% and by 50%. Although this would mean that by 2050 there would be more people with dementia, the proportions of those with severe dementia would significantly reduce as people spend longer in the earlier stages.
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Lewis et al (2014). Trajectory of Dementia in the UK – Making a Difference, report produced the Office of Health Economics for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Source: Mesterton, J et al (2010) Cross Sectional Observational Study on the Societal Costs of Alzheimers Disease. Current Alzheimer Research Vol. 7 Iss. 4 p358 – 367 DOI: 10.2174/156720510791162430
EuroQol 5-dimensions (EQ-5D) is the standard measure of health outcomes in research and other assessments, such as NICE judgements on new medicines.
It is a score based on five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, designed to give a translatable and comparable metric to be used to compare a variety of health states. In this example, the score is from 0 the worst health state, to 1 which represents unimpaired health. The quality of life of a person with dementia is not only far lower than a healthy person but also lower than someone with a similar chronic illness.
For more information on the EQ-5D, click here.