[Disabilities and impairment in activities of daily living as possible risk factors in dementia: prospective study in Basel 1986].

Because of the increasing number of old people in our society more and more dementia cases will be expected. The etiology of dementia is far from being clear. To get some idea about risk factors 4200 participants (on average 60 years old) of the Prospective Basel Study were asked by letter questions about their health and their way of life. One of the hypotheses to be tested is whether or not disabilities or impairments of activities of daily living could be risk factors for dementia. At present only the results of the basic survey can be discussed. Impairments of hearing, of mobility, of cutting toe-nails and of general physical activity were the conditions which were most frequently named. These results of people being mainly healthy with regard to dementia, will make it possible in the future--in contrast to the cross-sectional studies mentioned in the literature--to test the risk of physical disabilities and impairments of activities of daily living for dementia without being confounded by impairments due to dementia.