Managing Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Patterns in Primary Care

Medscape August 26, 2025
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

Primary care physicians (PCPs) in Ontario frequently used diagnostic tools to assess patients for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, with usage increasing during follow-up. Antidepressants were prescribed to nearly 50% of patients with dementia and more than 70% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study using electronic medical record data from 2011 to 2021 from a single academic family practice in Eastern Ontario to study the management of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by PCPs.
• They identified 417 individuals with dementia (mean age, 78.86 years; 54.9% women) and 71 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (mean age, 76.13 years; 61.9% women) using diagnostic codes, medication prescriptions, and keywords.
• Diagnostic and screening tools and scores for the severity...

Today's Sponsors

Today's Sponsor