Ethnic variations in referrals to the Leicester memory and dementia assessment service, 2010 to 2017

The incidence of dementia in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups is increasing in the UK, with concern about underdiagnosis and late presentation.

By reviewing referrals to memory clinics from Leicester City we examined whether the following differed by ethnicity: the proportion with a diagnosis of dementia, type of dementia and severity at presentation.

We examined referrals between 2010 and 2017: all those whose ethnicity was recorded as Black (n = 131) and a random sample of 260 Asian and 259 White British referrals. Severity of dementia was assessed by record review. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for general practice, age, gender and year of referral.

A diagnosis of dementia was recorded in 193 (74.5%) White British, 96 (73.3%) Black and 160 (61.5%) Asian referrals. Compared with Asians, White British had twice the adjusted odds of a dementia diagnosis (OR = 1.99 (1.23-3.22). Of those with dementia, Alzheimer's disease was more common in White British (57.0%) than in Asian (43.8%) and Black referrals (51.0%): adjusted OR White British versus Asian 1.76 (1.11-2.77). Of those with dementia, the proportion with moderate/severe disease was highest in White British (66.8%), compared with 61.9% in Asian and 45.8% in Black groups. The adjusted OR for the White versus Black groups was 2.03 (1.10-3.72), with no significant difference between Asian and White British groups.

Differences in confirmed dementia suggest general practitioners have a lower threshold for referral for possible dementia in some BAME groups. Unlike other centres, we found no evidence of greater severity at presentation in Asian and Black groups.