Half of All Seniors Are Worried About Dementia, Survey Says

Analysis of the University of Michigan (U of M) National Poll on Healthy Aging in JAMA Neurology found close to half of Americans between 50 and 64 are afraid they will develop dementia, reports United Press International . A total of 48.5 percent of 1,019 respondents felt they were at least somewhat likely to be diagnosed with cognitive decline, while 4.2 percent felt "very likely" to develop some form of dementia. "While there has been a lot of scientific focus on early diagnosis and early treatment of dementia, there are still no effective treatments," said U of M's Donovan Maust. "But, there is growing evidence that managing lifestyle and some chronic medical conditions can reduce risk." The researchers noticed that non-Hispanic black respondents felt they were significantly less likely to develop dementia, while those who scored their physical or mental health as "fair or poor" felt dementia was a more likely possibility. Significantly, just 5.2 percent of respondents had discussed dementia prevention with their doctors, while 31 percent endorsed using fish oil and 39.2 percent reported taking other vitamins or supplements. "It is also potentially concerning that people's perception of their risk may not line up with their actual risk — for example, those with poor physical health did not perceive their risk of developing dementia as higher, even though it most likely is compared to those in excellent health," Maust said. He suggested adults at any age should maintain regular intellectual, social, and physical activities to preserve cognition.