Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research. The study analyzed thousands of patients using the Rochester Epidemiology Project — which allows researchers access to medical records of nearly all residents of Olmsted County, Minn. — and found that receiving general anesthesia for procedures after age 45 is not a risk factor for developing dementia. The findings were published Wednesday, May 1, online in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Additional coverage: Medical Xpress
Tags: alzheimer's disease, anesthesia, Anesthesiology, elderly patients, HealthCanal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic Rochester, medical records, Neurology, Olmsted County, Research, Rochester Epidemiology Project