Dementia cases in the US are expected to double by 2060, with an estimated 1 million people diagnosed annually, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins University and other institutions.
Researchers found that Americans are at risk of development of dementia after the age of 55, it is 42%, double the risk found in previous studies, according to the press release.
For those who reach the age of 75, the lifetime risk exceeds 50%, the research showed.
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Women are faced with 48% average risk and men have a 35% risk, with the difference attributed to women living longer than men.
Dementia cases in the US are expected to double by 2060, with an estimated 1 million people diagnosed annually. (iStock)
The study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine on January 13, analyzed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), which has followed the cognitive and vascular health of nearly 16,000 adults since 1987.
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Aging is the biggest risk factor for dementia, with other factors including genetics, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and mental health disorders, according to the press release.
The risk of dementia has been found to be higher among people who have the dementia variant APOE4 genee, which is associated with the late onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Black adults also have a higher risk.
The researchers found that the risk of developing dementia in Americans after age 55 was 42%, double the risk found in previous studies. (iStock)
“The results of our study predict a dramatic increase in the burden of dementia in the United States over the coming decades, with one in two Americans expected to experience cognitive impairment after age 55,” said senior researcher and epidemiologist Josef Coresh, Ph.D. honey. who serves as the founding director of the Institute for Optimal Aging at NYU Langone, in a statement.
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Research has shown that the same interventions used to prevent the risk of heart disease can also prevent or slow dementia, a study suggests.
Research has shown that the same interventions used to prevent the risk of heart disease can also prevent or slow dementia. (iStock)
“The coming increase in the dementia population presents significant challenges especially for health policy makers, who must focus their efforts on strategies to reduce the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more health service for those with dementia,” Coresh said.
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The research was funded by the National Institute of Health.
Fox News Digital has reached out to researchers for additional comment.
