One in eight noninstitutionalized adults aged 60 and older reported an increase in memory problems during the preceding year, according to a CDC analysis of 2011 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey published in MMWR.

Of 60,000 respondents, 13% reported having confusion or memory loss that had gotten worse or more frequent during the past year; of those with memory problems, 35% reported interference with work, social, volunteer, or household activities. People with these functional difficulties were more likely to report needing or getting help from family or friends. Only about one in three people with memory problems reported discussing them with a healthcare provider.

MMWR’s editors say these findings provide baseline estimates of the scope of the problem and “underscore the need to facilitate timely discussions with healthcare and service providers so that linkages can be made to accurate information and needed services.”

Source:MMWR