Dementia reduces life expectancy by about 2 years for those diagnosed at age 85, 3 to 4 years for those diagnosed at 80, and up to 13 years with a diagnosis at 65, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 8 in The BMJ.

Learn how long men and women tend to live after a dementia diagnosis and why the time of nursing home admission is a crucial detail for researchers.

The average life expectancy of people diagnosed with dementia ranges from nine years at age 60 to 4.5 years at age 85 for women and from 6.5 to just over two years, respectively, in men, finds a systematic review of the latest evidence in The BMJ.

The average life expectancy figures from diagnosis varied from 2.2 years for men diagnosed in their mid-80s, to 8.9 years for women diagnosed around the age of 60. Such a broad range of outcomes could affect all kinds of decisions about life planning and future care.