Dementia on the Retreat in the U.S. and Europe

A study in Neurology indicates the dementia epidemic may be waning in the United States and Europe despite a lack of effective or preventive treatments, reports the New York Times . The danger of developing dementia over a lifetime is now 13 percent lower than it was 10 years ago, while incidence rates at every age have steadily fallen over the past 25 years. The authors project that there will be 15 million fewer people with dementia in Europe and the U.S. than there currently are if that rate holds. Harvard University researchers analyzed data from seven studies of 49,202 men and women 65 and older altogether, followed for at least 15 years. Harvard's Albert Hofman said a 75-year-old man's chances of developing dementia in his remaining lifetime currently stands at 18 percent, compared to about 25 percent in 1995. Men and women also have equal dementia rates, while the decline's apparent limitation to the U.S. and Europe is puzzling. One leading theory is improved control of cardiovascular risk factors, especially blood pressure and cholesterol. Another possible explanation may be better education, which is believed to protect against dementia by adding brain capacity.