Research 1 of 10 veterans diagnosed with dementia may instead have decline from cirrosis

[C C]

1 of 10 veterans diagnosed with dementia may instead have cognitive decline from cirrhosis
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1032746

INTRO: As many as 10% of older U.S. veterans diagnosed with dementia may suffer instead from reversible cognitive decline caused by advanced liver disease, according to an analysis from the Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine and the Richmond VA Medical Center.

It can be difficult for physicians to differentiate dementia from the cognitive decline caused by cirrhosis, called hepatic encephalopathy. If undetected, patients may not receive appropriate treatment that can reverse or halt the impairment. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, sought to learn more about the prevalence and risk factors of undiagnosed cirrhosis and potential encephalopathy in veterans with dementia.

The findings suggest that physicians treating veterans with dementia, even without a cirrhosis diagnosis, should consider assessing their patients for liver disease. Identifying cirrhosis early on may unveil reversible causes of cognitive impairment, potentially improving the lives of these patients.

“This unexpected link between dementia and liver health emphasizes the importance of screening patients for potentially treatable contributors to cognitive decline,” said lead author Jasmohan Bajaj, M.D., a gastroenterologist and world-renowned expert in hepatic encephalopathy with the VCU Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health and the Richmond VA Medical Center.

The researchers believe the findings would apply to non-veterans with dementia, but further research is needed. Bajaj urges clinicians, especially those who encounter patients with dementia, to incorporate liver assessments into routine care for their patients... (MORE - details)

[Magical Realist]

My dad, toward the end of his cirrhosis of his liver, started to do and say senseless things that seemed demented. It's the effect of all those toxins in the blood building up that the liver would normally filter out. Then his lungs started filling up with fluid and after a few more spoonfuls of morphine he was gone. One senses the thin and flexible line between hospice and euthanasia after such experiences.