My health record says I'm at risk of dementia

[mamasharkdoodoo]

And i don't understand why ?? It says initial assessment under the consultations tab and that im high risk.

Im only in my 30s and this has really freaked me out. It was from a phone call a few months ago, where we discussed something completely different.

I don't remember a lot about the call, as I've had a lot of calls in the last few months. It was the GP checking in to see how I was doing with PND, I think. I get the irony about not remembering the call btw. But it was two months ago and I do have a lot of calls with doctors ! I remember discussing plans and strategies of what I was going to do about my PND. I would definitely remember if dementia had been mentioned !

Anyway has anyone else got that on their record ? Surely if the GP thought I was at risk of Dementia and wanted to do an assessment, they would have told me about it ? Maybe it's an error. I'm freaked out !

I am purely guessing here. But I can only imagine it is because of a family history? I believe it is hereditary.

It could well be a mistake. I saw on my health record the other day that my BMI is recorded as 61!! I'm a size 10.

I don't have a history of dementia in my family at all.

Sounds like a mix up to me. I would call and check.

Have you contacted the surgery and asked why ?
It could be a simple error.

Sounds like an error then.

I think all people with mental health problems have an increased risk of dementia. I'm sure I read that somewhere and it stuck because I suffer from depression too. As did my mum who now has dementia. Gulp.

I found out by accident that I had "allergy to cheese" in my medical notes. Totally bizarre and random (and untrue! Thank god, I love cheese!)

Is it worth cchecking out in case it's there by mistake?

I work in mental health and I've never heard that this poses an increased risk to dementia? Maybe I've just missed this but I don't think this is accurate. It'll be a mistake op, it does happen. Or if it's not there should be a note registered somewhere that will explain as to why that's been added on. First thing I'd ring your gp receptionist and they can have a look round your record and try and figure it out and they'll pass a message to the gp who added the note and they might just realise it was added to the wrong file etc xx

Having pnd is not a risk factor for dementia xx

I'm a GP.

This is likely to be a computer generated code because you have a/some risk factors for dementia on your records (eg smoking, high alcohol intake, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol etc). The aim is that the code acts as a flag for us to try to help people modify those risk factors over time.

I'm loathe to suggest you contact the practice admin team to ask more about it because the whole of general practice is utterly drowning in work right now, but you live an entirely blameless life with no vices at all, and genuinely feel it's an error, then perhaps give them a call.

According to my record I was diagnosed this year with Ischaemic Heart Disease.

I did go and have a Bubble Echocardiogram and wore a 24 hour Heart Monitor as a Consultant reported a murmur but both of these found no problem.

I queried it and it was removed from my record. Fine, but if I hadn’t looked on the app it would be on my record and if I had to claim on, for example, travel insurance then it could result in claim not being paid. Even more worrying is that someone else may have Ischaemic Heart Disease and not know.

What @DuaneBenzie said - apart from age, the main risk factors for dementia are lifestyle related and v similar to risks relating to heart disease etc. I believe only some quite rare early onset types have a clear genetic link.

I don't think so. According to an NCBI study, people with earlier depression, ie 30s, are at least 2 times more likely to get dementia and maybe up to 4 times.

This, there are also other sort of surprising risks such as deafness.

I'm loathe to suggest you contact the practice admin team to ask more about it because the whole of general practice is utterly drowning in work right now, but you live an entirely blameless life with no vices at all, and genuinely feel it's an error, then perhaps give them a call.

That would be a great way to ease the pressure on the NHS. Only blameless people to contact them.

I'm guessing it's just an error. You would be shocked if you knew how many errors the average notes contain.

Just ask when you are next talking to your surgery.

It’s either an error or a general flag because of lifestyle.

Either way it doesn’t need dealing with or worrying about right now.

I actually wonder if it’s been a typo- someone started to type in De… for depression and accidentally clicked on the drop down box for Dementia instead of Depression and this is the code that came up.

It is worth clarifying but ideally phone them mid afternoon and not on a monday- or even better if possible email them, and don’t get too stressed if it takes a couple of days to get back to you, it’s the sort of query I expect English GPS are inundated with just now due to access to the app, plus it’s summer hols so likely to be short staffed just now.

I'm pretty sure the poster just meant that if there is nothing on OP's record to suggest this admin code would be triggered (smoking, hypertension, obesity, cholesterol etc), then contact them. But as GP's are super busy let's not waste their time over what is likely a relatively minor, automated admin process.

Many people will have one or two factors that might mean this dementia risk code comes up on their record, so trying not to waste NHS time if it is that simple makes sense.

Maybe.

That’s weird, I wrote a whole response there and it just posted one word. Never mind.

I'm amazed at anyone who doesn't have one or more documentable factors that raises risk of dementia. I'm sure I have at least 5 (*), but likely none of mine are documented. I don't want to be reached out to, anyway.

(*) family history (grandfather); regular alcohol drinker ; history of depression < 30yo ; terrible sleeper ; age