Dementia prevalence among older adults looks to be in decline, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study examined data on more than 21, 000 U.S. adults 65 years or older compiled in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study for 2000 and 2012. There were 10,546 respondents in 2000 and 10,516 respondents in 2012. Analyses revealed the prevalence of dementia declined from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012.
Researchers attributed increases in the level of education among the later-born cohort to some of the decreased dementia risk. They found more years of education to be associated with a lower risk for dementia. Average years of education increased significantly, from 11.8 years to 12.7 years, from 2000 to 2012. This means those 65 years or older in 2012 had nearly one additional year of education compared with the 2000 cohort.
The researchers noted the full set of social, behavioral and medical factors contributing to the decline in dementia prevalence remain uncertain.
"Continued monitoring of trends in dementia incidence and prevalence will be important for better gauging the full future societal impact of dementia as the number of older adults increases in the decades ahead," they concluded.