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US Dementia Rates Drop 24%, New Study Finds (cnn.com)
A new study involving more than 21,000 people across the country finds that dementia rates in people over age 65 fell from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012 -- a decline of 24 percent. CNN reports: The decline in dementia rates translates to about one million fewer Americans suffering from the condition, said John Haaga, director of behavioral and social research at the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the new study. Dementia is a general term for a loss of memory or other mental abilities that's severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease, which is believed to be caused by a buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain, is the most common type of dementia. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia and occurs after a stroke. The study, which began in 1992, focuses on people over age 50, collecting data every two years. Researchers conduct detailed interviews with participants about their health, income, cognitive ability and life circumstances. The interviews also include physical tests, body measurements and blood and saliva samples. Although researchers can't definitively explain why dementia rates are decreasing, Langa said doctors may be doing a better job controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, which can both boost the risk of age-related memory problems. High blood pressure and diabetes both increase the risk of strokes, which kill brain cells, increasing the risk of vascular dementia. Authors of the study found that senior citizens today are better educated than even half a generation ago. The population studied in 2012 stayed in school 13 years, while the seniors studied in 2000 had about 12 years of education, according to the study. People who are better educated may have more intellectually stimulating jobs and hobbies that help exercise their brains, Langa said. The study has been published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.
This makes no sense. If it were true how did Trump get elected?
I wonder if it is part of the theorized behavioral wave resultant from banning Tetraethyllead.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
The ban is correlated with the lead free generation of young adults having a greatly reduced threshold for criminal violence and murder.
It used to be taboo to be gay. Now it's a basic requirement of every min and womyn. Children too, can't forget those pesky children and that mangy mutt. Ruby ruby rooooooo...!!!
-timothy
From WIkipedia
Reduction in the average blood lead level is believed to have been a major cause for falling violent crime rates in the United States[52] and South Africa.[53] Researchers including Amherst College economist Jessica Wolpaw Reyes, Department of Housing and Urban Development consultant Rick Nevin, and Howard Mielke of Tulane University, say that declining exposure to lead is responsible for up to a 56% decline in crime from 1992 to 2002.[54]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
It seems pretty much half of America is mentally il, lost touch with reality a long time ago, see Idiocracy for the lnevitable end of the US.
In related news, yearly oral consumption of non-toxic glue products by first graders has apparently decreased by 24% over the same period.
More research is required to form a hypothesis. Please send more glue sticks to Anonymous Coward c/o Cowboy Neal at the registered address for slashdot.org.
As the main modifiable risk factor, it's almost certain that cigarette smoking factors in there.
These days it's called Trumpism
Tangles in the brain? They make it sound like the brain is just made up of several million coat hangers!
He's so out of touch with trends, he even loses his mind when it's going out of style.
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
Trump needs to release his medical reports. He is over 70 years old. He probably has Alzheimer's and a shitload of dementia.
That's before or after the PUSA election?
Therefore Global Warming is a lie and a scam.
Alzheimer's disease, which is believed to be caused by a buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain, is the most common type of dementia.
Is the most common type of NON VASCULAR dementia. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is by far the most common cause of dementia.
First thing that jump into my mind: Can this be caused by the removal of lead from petrol/gasoline and other consumer products?
What about younger women? In US 25% are mentally ill. Anyone care to explain, what is going on over there.
Those are only the ones that have been diagnosed.
Not being able to retire at 65 because of a ever increasing student debt and only being able to work minimum wage jobs with a MA means they keep their minds busy by working instead of retiring keeps their minds sharp!
It went from one in about 9 to one in about 11 old people having dementia.
Plus, they didn't bother with checking if there's any correlation between dementia and hand size.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Reason: Hillary's supporters emigrated away
Good job. You are Making America Great Again too not even knowing about it.
Hard to say what this means, just a jump in deaths over a certain segment could be behind it, to say nothing of the fact that data capture must be a bitch. My wife's family is dealing with this right now and just getting all of them to acknowledge it's actually happening seems impossible, let alone the person with the affliction. Everyone's in denial, and we are told this happens in almost every case. Saliva samples aside, how do you get solid data?
This seems to me to be a bit unlikely.
I've got have a mind to agree.
*** Don't be dull.***
I always find it such an exaggerated way of presenting statistics to use a percentage of a percentage, the number gives no context (percentage of what), and the smaller the group of people the more the number is likely to fluctuate wildly.
Whats wrong with a absolute percentage? "No. of people with dementia dropped by 2.8% between 2000 and 2012"... is it just not sensationalist enough? Otherwise when dementia only affects a handful of people it will be improving worsening by 9927648% every year! what a useful way of measuring it.
The title should be "Reported" US Dementia Rates Drop 24%
I don't know if they changed the dementia diagnosis approach, probably they did.
It is like evaluating poverty, if you increase the poverty line a thousand bucks, poverty decreases suddenly.
This seems to me to be a bit unlikely.
Oh, well then. That changes everything.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
I always find it such an exaggerated way of presenting statistics to use a percentage of a percentage, the number gives no context (percentage of what), and the smaller the group of people the more the number is likely to fluctuate wildly.
I'd go further. It needs to not only indicate WHAT it is a percentage of but also what the confidence interval is for the result and what the population size was and its composition and the calculation methodology. Statistics that do not include the error bars should be considered only with great skepticism. Statistics which do not disclose the calculation methodology doubly so.
Whats wrong with a absolute percentage? "No. of people with dementia dropped by 2.8% between 2000 and 2012"
What specifically do you mean by "absolute percentage"? When people talk about changes they generally talk about absolute value change or percentage change but absolute percentage change isn't really a thing. Percentages are by definition relative. You can have an absolute percentage error which is something used routinely.
Why do you asshole trolls keep bringing up the election? Go die in a fucking fire.
It's probably because the baby boomers are just hitting 65+, and so the average person over 65 in 2012 is younger than the average person over 65 in 2000.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.
I would like to see a study that compares rates of dementia in people that fought in WWI/WWII/Korea compared to people that didn't. My grandfather who fought in the Pacific during WWII and in Korea was exposed to "Agent Orange" and Lord knows what else. Combined with heavy drinking and tobacco use, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a link. Most WWII and Korean War veterans have passed away which could be the cause of this drop in numbers.
i wonder if social media and the ubiquity of the internet has anything to do with it. i suspect it's more healthy for the brain to be actively engaged with friends and family, even virtually, and reading about current events (even if it's hateful clickbait) than sitting around having very little mental or emotional engagement knitting doilies or whatever.
i could live a little longer in this prison
It doesn't make sense unless a large percentage of dementia was caused by an infectious disease that has run its course. The disease does not have to happen 10 or 20 years ago. It could have happened 40 to 50 years ago and its effect are only noticed in seniors.
but I am not a neurologist. I started medical training (med school in 2004) an dI'm in practice today. I have long been suspicious that most dementias that we are calling "Alzheimer's" dementia are really multi-infarct/vascular dementia from mini-stroke/strokes/atherosclerosis etc.... Remember the "gold standard" in a practical sense to diagnose Alzheimer's demential is post-mortem brain pathology examination.
Argh. The laws of science be a harsh mistress.
Maybe it's not a natural assumption. Maybe it's a considered position, reached after looking at evidence.
When everybody's gone crazy, it skews the baseline to where those with dementia just seem normal.
Of course general dementia has declined.
We've been concentrating it all in our politicians.
Muff diver? More like a zipper head.
I'm think that the reduction in lead, as well as the banning of several pesticides, and flame retardants, has had a hand in this reduction. :\
I'm sure over time studies will end up proving that poison is bad for you, and that less poison leads to better health than more poison.
My guess is its more to do with reduced dietary sugar intake across the board. Studies showing statistical correlations between dementia and high-sugar diets have previously been reported on here on Slashdot.
thc removes the plaque causing protean from the brain. more pot smoking, less dementia