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 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.