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A new Swedish study published in the journal Neurology shows that the
risk of developing dementia may have declined over the past 20 years,
in direct contrast to what many previously assumed. The result is based
on data from the SNAC-K, an ongoing study on aging and health that
started in 1987.
“We know that cardiovascular disease is an
important risk factor for dementia. The suggested decrease in dementia
risk coincides with the general reduction in cardiovascular disease over
recent decades”, says Associate Professor Chengxuan Qiu of the Aging
Research Center (ARC), established by Karolinska Institutet and
Stockholm University. “Health check-ups and cardiovascular disease
prevention have improved significantly in Sweden, and we now see results
of this improvement reflected in the risk of developing dementia.”
Dementia is a constellation of symptoms characterized by impaired
memory and other mental functions. After age 75, dementia is commonly
due to multiple causes, mainly Alzheimer’s disease and vascular
dementia. In the current study, more than 3000 persons 75 years and
older living in the central Stockholm neighborhood of Kungsholmen
participated. Of the participants, 523 were diagnosed with some form of
dementia. The key members of the research group have been essentially
the same since 1987, including the neurologist responsible for the
clinical diagnoses of dementia. All study participants were assessed by a
nurse, a physician, and a psychologist.
The result shows the prevalence of dementia was stable in both men
and women across all age groups after age 75 during the entire study
period (1987-1989 and 2001-2004), despite the fact that the survival of
persons with dementia increased since the end of the 1980s. This means
that the overall risk of developing dementia must have declined during
the period, possibly thanks to prevention and better treatment of
cardiovascular disease.
“The reduction of dementia risk is a positive phenomenon, but it is
important to remember that the number of people with dementia will
continue to rise along with the increase in life expectancy and absolute
numbers of people over age 75”, says Professor Laura Fratiglioni,
Director of the Aging Research Center. “This means that the societal
burden of dementia and the need for medical and social services will
continue to increase. Today there’s no way to cure patients who have
dementia. Instead we must continue to improve health care and prevention
in this area.”
The study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and
Social Research (FAS ), the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social
Affairs, the Swedish Research Council, and Swedish Brain Power.
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