U.S. Dementia Prevalence Among People Over Age 65 Dropped 3.7 Percentage Points From 2000 To 2016

The age-adjusted prevalence of dementia among people aged 65 and older fell from 12.2% in 2000 to 8.5% in 2016. The prevalence of dementia decreased steadily between 2000 and 2016, with a particularly rapid decline observed between 2000 and 2004.

The prevalence of dementia was higher among women than men over the entire period, but the difference shrank between 2000 and 2016. Among men, the prevalence of dementia decreased by 3.2 percentage points, from 10.2% to 7.0%. Among women, the decrease was larger: 3.9 percentage points from 13.6% to 9.7%. Differences . . .