Incidence Of New Dementia Diagnoses Dropped From 3.5% To 2.8% Over Six Years, But Prevalence Increased, Tied To Demographics

From 2015 to 2021, the incidence of new dementia diagnoses in the United States decreased from 3.5% to 2.8%, adjusted for age and sex, according to a recent analysis of Medicare fee-for-service data. The researchers said the decline could be due to overall improvements in managing cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

During the same period, despite the decrease in the incidence of new dementia diagnoses, the population prevalence of dementia increased from 10.5% to 11.8%, largely driven by the increase in the population age 65 and older. Based on . . .