Deaths among Alzheimer's patients surged 26% during first year of pandemic, study says

Deaths among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease accelerated at a faster pace during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic as routine care was disrupted for many with memory and cognitive problems, according to a study published Monday by the journal JAMA Neurology.

In a study of nearly 27 million adults enrolled in Medicare from March through December 2020, deaths among patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia surged 26% compared with the same period in 2019. Deaths among Medicare-age patients without the disease increased 12% during the first year of the pandemic, the study found.

A disparity also was found in nursing homes, where deaths of Alzheimer’s patients surged 33% compared with 24% among nursing home patients without the memory-robbing disease.

Deaths among Asian, Black and Hispanic people with Alzheimer's accelerated even faster than the overall Alzheimer's population, the study found.

More:Alzheimer’s patients 'devastated' at Medicare limits on drug critics say needs more testing

The study, which relied on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, examined all causes of death, not just deaths attributed to COVID-19. 

Study author Dr. Lauren Gilstrap of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center said one possible explanation for the higher death rate among Alzheimer's patients is they had difficulty accessing care. Doctors, hospitals and nursing homes all grappled with how to care for non-COVID-19 patients during the early lockdown months, particularly in regions that were overwhelmed when COVID-19 cases surged. 

"The bar to access inpatient health care, in the setting of pandemic and concerns for infection, became a lot higher," Gilstrap said. 

The study also found a higher death rate among Alzheimer's patients in regions with lower COVID-19 case counts. Patients often sought remote care through telehealth when in-person visits were not available during the initial lockdowns, and Alzheimer’s patients might have struggled to access and use remote care.

"When you're dealing with a population with cognitive limitations, it's not hard to imagine how Zoom platforms break down pretty quickly," Gilstrap said. 

Experts not involved in the study say the pandemic has underscored the effects of health care disparities. Black, Native American and Hispanic communities have had greater rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths compared with whites, said Carl V. Hill, Alzheimer’s Association's chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

"Blacks and Hispanics often face greater challenges in accessing health care in a timely manner," Hill said. "This lack of access combined with the fact that these populations are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s and other comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, made these individuals particularly vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19."

Ken Alltucker is on Twitter as @kalltucker or can be emailed at alltuck@usatoday.com.