The conclusion was made by scientists at the University of California at Berkeley. The researchers used data from more than 21,000 people over the age of 65.
In the United States of America, the incidence of dementia has declined as women's education and employment have increased. This conclusion was made by scientists at the University of California at Berkeley. The study was published in the journal PNAS.
The researchers used data from more than 21,000 people over the age of 65 from the nationwide Health and Retirement Study. The prevalence of dementia dropped to 8.5% in 2016 from 12.2% in 2000.
At the same time, the number of men with higher education increased to 33.7% from 21.5%, women - up to 23% from 12.3% over the same period of time. In addition, the proportion of women aged 74-84 who have worked for more than 50 years has increased. The increase was 59% in 2016 from 29.5% in 2000.
The incidence of dementia also decreased in non-Hispanic black men by 42.6% and in whites by 29%.
The researchers believe that the decline in the prevalence of dementia speaks of more serious socioeconomic changes in the United States and reflects the effectiveness of strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Scientists believe that more research needs to be done on how busyness affects cognitive reserve. They noted that it was not their task to draw definitive conclusions about the reasons for the decrease in the incidence of dementia. The researchers hypothesized that the prevalence of dementia would decline further as women's general education and employment increased.