A lot of people have trouble remembering stuff, but a new study suggests that the U.S. health care system isn’t doing enough about it.
Even though memory loss becomes much more likely as people age, a recent study found that older patients are in fact less likely than middle-aged ones to discuss memory loss with a doctor. That’s according to a recent study published in Preventing Chronic Disease, a journal affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control.
According to the research, which examined federal data on over 10,000 patients, only 23 percent of adults over the age of 45 reported discussing memory loss with a physician in 2011.
In fact, even among adults who reported “subjective memory concerns” (SMCs), a majority said they had not discussed the issue with a health care professional.
The study found that getting a regular medical check-up “only modestly” increased the likelihood that an individual has discussed memory problems with a health care professional.
As a result, wrote study author Mary Adams, of On Target Health Data in Connecticut, serious issues, such as cognitive impairment and dementia, are going undetected. Those who suffer from the conditions are therefore not receiving treatment or being made aware of available services.
Among those who reported discussing memory problems with health care professionals, 42 percent said they received treatment as a result.
“Routine check-ups may be a missed opportunity for discussions of SMCs that might lead to diagnosis or treatment,” wrote Adams. “The Affordable Care Act requires a cognitive assessment for Medicare recipients during their annual wellness visit, but these results suggest that adults younger than 65 might also benefit from such an assessment.”
In addition, suggested Adams, nonprofits and public entities could help by raising awareness of memory loss and encouraging patients to talk to their doctors about problems they’re encountering.
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