According to the CDC, nearly 14 million Americans will be suffering from dementia by 2060.
Dementia is diminished cognitive functioning with a loss of ability to remember, think, solve problems, or make decisions — if it has progressed to the point that it interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is a specific type of dementia and the most common. Dementia is a chronic or progressive syndrome that leads to deterioration in cognitive function. The CDC estimates approximately 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including 5.6 million aged 65 and older and about 200,000 under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.
It is not a normal sign of aging, even though it primarily affects older adults at least 65 years of age.
By 2060, the number of Alzheimer’s disease cases is predicted to rise to an estimated 14 million people, with minority populations being affected the most, according to the CDC.
- Cases among Hispanics will increase seven times over today’s estimates.
- Cases among African Americans will increase four times over today’s estimates.
The CDC estimates that about 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including 5.6 million aged 65 and older and about 200,000 under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. Among all races, women are nearly two times more likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease than men. The difference is due primarily to women living longer.
More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide with 10 million new cases diagnosed every year.
According to a report by Sci Tech Daily, after investigating the association between vitamin D, neuroimaging features, and the risk of dementia and stroke, the study found:
- Low levels of vitamin D were associated with lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke.
- Genetic analyses supported a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia.
- In some populations, as much as 17 percent of dementia cases might be prevented by increasing everyone to normal levels of vitamin D (50 nmol/L).
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