Dementia Going Down

A recent study found dementia rates among people 65 and overin England and Wales decreased from 8.3% to 6.2% in two decades.  This 25 percent drop seems to confirm hopesthat dementia rates would decrease as populations grow healthier and better educated.

Another study in Denmark tested people in their 90s on theirmental abilities.  Those tested in 2010scored substantially better than those a decade earlier.

These studies indicate that dementia rates all acrossdeveloped countries are expected to fall.  Experts hope these findings refute other studies, whichassumed dementia rates would remain steady and, therefore, double the amount ofpeople with dementia in the next 30 years.

See Gina Kolata, Dementia Rate Is Found to Drop Sharply, AsForecast, The New York Times, July 16, 2013.