Dementia risk soars in aging US population, cases set to double by 2060, study predicts

In a shocking new study, it has emerged that people in the US could be more susceptible to dementia than previously thought, with over 40% of people in the US aged 55 and above at risk of facing the condition in their later years. This could partly be attributed to the

aging population

and the growing burden of

chronic diseases

.
The new study done by NYU Langone Health and published in Nature on Monday forecasts that the number of dementia diagnoses in the US will double by 2060, from about 514,000 cases in 2020 to about 1 million a year.
The study has found that

dementia risk

is 35% for men and 48% for women after the age of 55, for an average of 42%. Previous studies had estimated that 14% of men and 23% of women in the US would get dementia at some point.

Causes behind the possible unprecedented rise
The rise would be due to the aging population as well as increasing cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, and poor mental health.
Dementia includes a range of brain conditions that cause a decline in mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning. It can affect a person’s daily life and activities and can range in severity from mild to severe.

Women, Black adults are more at risk
For the study, researchers took into account the health records of about 15,000 people, and followed each patient for an average of 23 years. The researchers found significantly higher diagnosis rates among Black adults and earlier onset compared to White adults. The study estimated that annual dementia diagnoses among Black adults may triple by 2060.
The study found that women have a higher 48% overall risk of developing dementia than older men (35%), as they lived longer than men in general. Seniors over 75 face a 50% risk of dementia.

“Accumulating data from clinical trials have linked healthy lifestyle behaviors, the absence of vascular risk factors and hearing rehabilitation with improved cognitive outcomes,” the researchers wrote. “However, only approximately 20% of US adults are meeting recommended lifestyle and cardiovascular health targets, and only approximately 30% of older adults with hearing loss are using a hearing aid.”
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