Dementia cases in the United States are expected to double between now and 2060. For American citizens over 55, the risk reaches 42%, more than double the previously estimated. These are the latest estimates of the study published in “Nature Medicine”, which if accurate would translate into about half a million new cases this year, increasing to one million new cases per year by 2060, taking into account the progressive aging of the population, reports A2 CNN.
The new analysis, funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by several US institutions, such as Johns Hopkins University, considered data collected from the Atherosclerosis Risk Neurocognitive Study in Communities (ARIC-NCS), which since 1987 has closely monitored the vascular and cognitive health of nearly 16,000 participants as they age. No other project has followed the cardiovascular health of a group of African-American patients for such a long period of time, writes A2 CNN.
From 1987 to 2020, there were 3,252 participants who developed dementia. The risk for those over 55 of experiencing this form of cognitive decline was 42% (an average risk of between 35% for men and 48% risk for women, who are more likely to develop dementia because they live longer). The chances of developing dementia are even higher for African-Americans and for those with the APOE4 genetic variant, which is associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer's disease, reports A2 CNN.
Past studies have underestimated the risk of dementia due to poor documentation of the disease in health certificates and poor surveillance of the early stages of the disease, particularly in ethnic minorities, who are also more vulnerable to this disease due to socioeconomic factors.
The increase in the number of cases estimated between now and 2060 is attributed to the aging population, 58 million Americans are over 65 years old, but also to genetic factors, the high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and neglect of mental health. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
