Research shows that younger generations are less likely to develop dementia as they age
As the world ages, dementia has become a major issue, with a reported 57 million people living with dementia worldwide as of 2021. However, new research has found that generations born in recent years are less likely to develop dementia than their parents' and grandparents' generations.
Generational Differences in Age-Specific Dementia Prevalence Rates | Health Policy | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
Younger generations less likely to have dementia, study suggests | Dementia | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/02/younger-generations-less-likely-dementia-study
A research team led by Sabrina Lenzen of the University of Queensland's Centre for Health, Business and Economics analysed data from 62,437 people aged 70 and over from three longitudinal surveys conducted in the US, the UK and Europe.
The researchers used an algorithm that considered a range of indicators collected in the study, from difficulties with carrying out daily activities to cognitive test scores, to determine whether participants were likely to develop dementia.
The research team then divided the participants into eight birth cohorts and analyzed them. As expected, they found that the prevalence of dementia increased with age across all birth cohorts and regions.
What's particularly noteworthy about this study is that people born later in life were less likely to develop dementia, even if they were the same age.
'For example, among Americans ages 81 to 85, 25.1 percent of those born between 1890 and 1913 have dementia, compared with 15.5 percent of those born between 1939 and 1943,' Lenzen said.
Lenzen said the trend was seen not only in the US but also in Europe and the UK, although it was less pronounced in the UK.
The researchers point out that this trend is particularly pronounced among women, and that the lower incidence of dementia in more recent generations may be due to women's increased access to education in the mid-20th century.
Experts interviewed by The Guardian had mixed reactions to the results of this study. Professor Tara Spiers-Jones, director of the Brain Science Discovery Centre at the University of Edinburgh, said that the study was well-conducted and that, 'While the number of people with dementia continues to rise as the population ages, this study adds to the good news that more recent generations are at lower risk of dementia than previous generations.'
Spiers-Jones said the decline in dementia was likely due to interventions such as mandatory education, smoking cessation and improved treatments for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hearing loss that are associated with dementia risk.
Meanwhile, Professor Tom Denning, from the University of Nottingham, said that while the study contained good news, it should not be assumed that the improving trends would continue, given that some of the biggest health reforms to reduce dementia risk may already be in place.
David Thomas, head of policy and communications at Alzheimer's Research UK, said there was evidence that around half of dementia could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 key risk factors, such as smoking and air quality, but noted that some of these factors were difficult to change through individual effort.
'That's why Alzheimer's Research UK is calling on the government to implement strategies to prevent health problems, including addressing the risk of dementia,' Thomas said.
in Science, Posted by log1l_ks