It is estimated that 5.2 million Americans aged 65 or over live with Alzheimer's, and the numbers are expected to escalate. As the so-called baby boom generation has started to reach age 65 and over, by 2050, the number of seniors with Alzheimer's disease is expected to triple to a staggering 13.8 million.
The rapidly expanding nature of dementia has earned its nickname as "The Silent Epidemic."
However, some recent studies have suggested that the risk of developing dementia may have declined in the past 25 years, particularly in high-income countries. New research seems to support this optimistic view.
At least three European studies have suggested dementia risk may be decreasing in older adults, with authors hypothesizing that the change is due to changes in education, decline in vascular risk factors, and overall decrease in stroke incidence.
In the U.S., one study noted a 20 percent decrease in dementia per decade between 1977-2008, but only in adults with at least a high school education.
New research compares the prevalence of dementia in the U.S. in 2000 and 2012.
The new study was led by Dr. Kenneth M. Langa, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The results were published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The new study supports previous studies suggesting dementia rates may be dropping.
The analysis found that dementia prevalence among participants aged 65 and older decreased from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012.
This corresponds to an absolute decrease of 2.8 percent and a relative decrease of 24 percent.