A new study has revealed that approximately 10% of U.S. adults 65 years old and older have dementia, and 22% have mild cognitive impairment.
The study was conducted by researchers from Columbia University, with data based on nearly 3,500 individuals enrolled in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. The findings, which were published in JAMA Neurology, come as accurate, up-to-date measures of the national prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment has been scarce. Participants in the study completed a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests and in-depth interviews between 2016 and 2017. The information was used to develop an algorithm for diagnosing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
“Such data are critical for understanding the causes, costs, and consequences of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the United States and for informing policies aimed at reducing their impact on patients, families, and public programs,” Jennifer J. Manly, PhD, the study’s lead author and professor of neuropsychology in neurology at the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University, said in a statement.
The study found that people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment were more likely to be older, have lower levels of education, and be Black or Hispanic. Men and women had similar rates of dementia and cognitive impairment.
The study also found that rates of dementia and cognitive impairment rose with age, with 3% of people between 65 and 69 having dementia, and 35% for people aged 90 and over. That high rate of dementia and cognitive impairment has a huge economic impact, as well, reaching $257 billion per year in the United States and $800 billion worldwide, including unpaid family care.
“With increasing longevity and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, cognitive impairment is projected to increase significantly over the next few decades, affecting individuals, families, and programs that provide care and services for people with dementia,” Manly said.
Researchers also looked at differences in national prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment by age, race and ethnicity, gender and education, leading the researchers to uncover higher prevalence among Black and Hispanic populations.
“Dementia research in general has largely focused on college-educated people who are racialized as white,” says Manly. “This study is representative of the population of older adults and includes groups that have been historically excluded from dementia research but are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment because of structural racism and income inequality. If we’re interested in increasing brain health equity in later life, we need to know where we stand now and where to direct our resources.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."