New Study Points to
Decline in Dementia Rates Among Seniors
Craig Lewis Buddhistdoor
Global | 2016-11-22 |
The
results of a recently published study carried out at the University
of Michigan indicate that dementia rates among seniors in the US
are falling, with a marked decline recorded since 2000.
The research, published in the journal JAMA
Internal Medicine, suggests that among the key reasons for the
improvement is an increase in education, as well as improved
treatment for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “Our results add
to a growing body of evidence that this decline in dementia risk is
a real phenomenon, and that the expected future growth in the
burden of dementia may not be as extensive as once thought,” said
Prof. Kenneth Langa, a co-author of the new study. (BBC)
Dementia, also known as senility, is a broad
umbrella term for brain conditions that result in a gradual,
long-term decline in memory and cognitive function, the most common
type of which is Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 50–70 per cent
of cases. More than one type of dementia may manifest in the same
person. Common symptoms include emotional problems, difficulties
with language, and decreased motivation. A formal diagnosis of
dementia requires a recorded change in a person's mental
functioning and a greater decline than would be attributable to
normal aging.
Comparing data samples of more than 21,000
Americans aged over 65 from across the country, the researchers
found that 11.6 per cent of subjects were diagnosed with some form
of dementia in 2000, declining to 8.8 percent by 2012. “That’s well
over a million people who don’t have dementia, who would have had
it if the rates had stayed the same as 2000 rates,” said John
Haaga, director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Research
at the National Institute on Aging, which funded the study.
(NPR)
According to the researchers, the fall in
dementia occurred despite increases in conditions considered risk
factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity,
suggesting that improved treatments for these conditions may have
been a contributing factor. Spending more years in education may
also help the brain compensate for abnormalities that occur as the
body ages. “Our study, along with prior studies, supports the
notion that ‘cognitive reserve’ resulting from early life and
lifelong education and cognitive stimulation may be a potent
strategy for the primary prevention of dementia in both high- and
low-income countries around the world,” the researchers wrote. (NBC
News)
The average amount of education received by the
people in the data samples was 11.8 years in 2000, representing a
little less than a full high school education. That average had
risen to 12.7 years by 2012.
Dr. Langa, noted that there was no conclusive
explanation yet for why education might be such a significant
factor. “One [theory] is that education might actually change the
brain itself,” he said. “We think that it actually creates more—and
more complicated—connections between the nerve cells so that you're
able to keep thinking normally later into life.” (NPR)
The findings of the study are supported by
similar research in Europe, which found that dementia rates had
declined in Britain and Spain, and had stabilized in other parts of
Europe. Prof. Carol Brayne, who participated in the European study,
said the new research from the US represented compelling further
evidence of a decline in dementia rates in some countries. “These
findings are incredibly important for the world and underlie the
importance of access to education,” she said. “But it is likely to
be a combination of risk factors—better health from conception,
vaccinations, access to education, medical care, not smoking—that
taken together will have an impact.” (BBC)