According to a recent study, new cases of dementia are projected to double by 2060 in the United States compared to their 2020 levels. The study, published in the medical journal Nature Medicine, projected that the number of Americans diagnosed with the disease will rise to about 1 million over the next 35 years.
Dementia is an umbrella term for multiple symptoms, particularly cognitive decline such as memory loss, associated with a variety of diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s.
The cognitive decline, which also includes symptoms such as disorientation, depression, and anxiety, significantly impairs daily life and progresses with age. While there are some treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, currently, they only slow the progression of the disease, and cannot fully cure it.
Josef Coresh, MD, PhD, and an epidemiologist, is the study’s lead investigator and founding director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone Hospitals. The study was funded in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health. In a press release published by NYU Langone, he warned that “the pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers in particular, who must refocus their efforts on strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more healthcare services for those with dementia.”
Dr. Coresh is advocating for people to avoid smoking, control their blood pressure, and manage their anxiety or depression. He also advised that hearing aids can slow cognitive decline in some cases, but are used by only a third of Americans who need them.
Over two out of five people above the age of 55 are expected to contract dementia during their lifetimes. According to the study, women, black adults, and people above the age of 75 are at even higher risk. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study and the U.S. Census Bureau, the study predicts that adults over 55 have a 42% chance of developing dementia. This finding is greater than prior studies, which likely underestimated the threat due to limited observation of early-stage cases, unreliable medical records, and underreported rates among minority groups.
The researchers further advised that more resources were needed in the coming years to begin to address racial and gender inequalities. As dementia rates are expected to double for White individuals by 2060, while they will to triple among Black individuals, and women are also considered to be higher risk.
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