Some Forms of Dementia May Be Preventable

As I have previously discussed, a recent study found dementia rates among people 65 and over in England and Wales decreased from 8.3% to 6.2% in two decades.  This 25 percent drop seems to confirm hopes that dementia rates would decrease as populations grow healthier and better educated.

Recently, a second European study also concluded that dementia rates are declining. However, the studies are not claiming that dementia will be less of an issue in the future. Generally, the percentage of people with dementia is low until people reach 80. Once people reach age 80, the percentage of people with dementia dramatically increases. Old reports indicate that of those people between 85-89, at least one in four suffers from dementia. New reports show that the rate has fallen to one in six. Despite the drop in dementia rates the cost of overall health care is excpected to more than double by 2014.

Some other implications revealed by the downward trend suggest that some forms of dementia are preventable. There are nearly 100 types of dementia, but with better diet, exercise, and monotoring of blood pressure the numbers of dementia should drop. 

See Howard Gleckman The Dementia Rate May Be Falling– And What It Means, Forbes,  Aug. 21, 2013.

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.