Dementia Mortality Nearly Three Times Higher Than Recorded On Death Certificates

Mortality associated with dementia is estimated to be 2.7 times higher than previously reported when using vital statistics, the primary data source in the United States. An estimated 13.6% of deaths can be attributed to dementia, even though the proportion of deaths actually assigned to dementia is only 5.0%.

The mortality burden of dementia was significantly higher among non-Hispanic Blacks, at 24.7% of deaths compared to non-Hispanic Whites, at 12.2% of deaths. Among those with less than a high school education, the mortality burden of dementia was 16.2% of deaths, compared to . . .