Preparing for the worst: People with dimentia live 4.5 years after diagnosis

In a sobering study by researchers at the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge, people with dementia survive an average four-and-a-half years after diagnosis.

"This gives people a rough idea of how long they are looking at," said Brayne, who led the study published in the British Medical Journal. "This can add more to the information that physicians and families have."

It was also found that women lived for 4.6 years while men just 4.1. Age at diagnosis was also a factor; people aged 65 to 69 lived 10.7 years after diagnosis while those over 90 lived 3.8 years. The physical state also mattered. The most frail patients died on average three years sooner than people who are more robust, even with age factored in.