The Caring Corner®
Rates of Dementia on the Decline?
A recent study in England shows that the rates of dementia among people 65 and older dropped by 25 percent during the last twenty years.
The study, conducted in England, shows rates falling from 8.3 to 6.2 percent. A similar study in Denmark noted a comparable improvement in dementia incidence among seniors of about 25 percent.
Some experts suspected this all along…. that dementia rates would fall as the population of seniors grew healthier and more well educated. Dementia occurs with less frequency among those who have better educations, and who follow lifestyles that control blood pressure and cholesterol.
This is good news for a number of reasons. First, it means that the overall burden and challenges to our society of caring for dementia patients may be less than some have projected. It also suggests that there are things we can do – by controlling our lifestyles with diet, exercise and ongoing mental engagement – that help reduce our risk of suffering the disease.
