According to a recent study, one-third of Americans 65 and older have dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
The study, which was released on Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology, is the most recent estimate in 20 years of the effects of dementia and cognitive decline in Americans, according to the study’s authors.
In particular, the study discovered that 22% of persons aged 65 or older had mild cognitive impairment and 1 in 10 had dementia.
The 3,496 participants in the study, whose average age was 76, provided a big and diverse sample that allowed the researchers to provide new, precise information about those affected by cognitive decline. Prior research mostly concentrated on college-educated white adults.
According to CNN, lead study author Jennifer Manly, PhD, said in a statement that the study “is representative of the population of older adults and includes groups that have historically been excluded from dementia research but are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment due to structural racism and income inequality.” “We need to understand where we are right now and where to focus our resources if we’re interested in enhancing brain health equity in later life.”
According to the current study, the risk that someone may get dementia or moderate cognitive impairment will vary depending on their age, level of schooling, race, and ethnicity. Dementia had a negative impact on older, less educated, and people who identified as Black. Those who were older, classified as Hispanic, and also had lower educational levels suffered from moderate cognitive impairment.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s disease is the most typical cause of dementia, while there are other potential reasons as well.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the term “dementia” is used to characterise a combination of symptoms that are so severe that they significantly impair memory, thinking, and social functioning. There isn’t one unique illness that causes dementia; rather, several illnesses can do so.
