Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease among residents of Fulaerji district of Qigihar city,Heilongjiang province

To explore the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of Alzheimer's disease(AD) among residents of Fulaerji district of Qiqihar city,Heilongjiang province. Methods Stratified mulitstage cluster sampling method was adopted in the survey.The investigation included screening and clinical diagnosis.Mini Mental-State Examination(MMSE)and activites of daily living(ADL)were used in the screening.The diagnosis was made based on clinical history,clinical examination,neuropsychological testing according to the criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorder,4th ed(DSM-IV)and the National Institute of Neurologic,Communicative Disorders and Stroke-AD and Related Disorders Association(NINCDS-ADRDA). Results Among 3 698 elder persons aged 60 years or over,87 AD patients were identified with a prevalence rate of 2.4%,of which 59.77%,24.14%,and 16.09% were mild,moderate,and severe cases.The prevalence rate was 2.92% for women and 1.83% for men with a significant difference(χ²=4.79,P<0.05). The AD prevalence rate increased with increment of age(Z=7.90,P<0.01).The residents with lower education had a higher AD prevalence rate(Z=-3.18,P<0.01). Conclusion AD prevalence in the females is higher than in the male and the prevalence is positively correlated with the increment of age and negatively with education level among the residents in Fularji district of Qigihar city,Heilongjiang province.