New dementia cases in US projected to double to 1 million by 2060: Study

New cases of dementia in the United States are projected to double in the next three decades, a new study suggests.

The study, published this week in the journal Nature Medicine, looked at more than 15,000 people and estimated the lifetime risk of dementia from ages 55 to 95.

The team—including researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic and New York University—projected new US dementia cases would double from more than 500,000 in 2020 to approximately one million by 2060. The authors said this increase is directly tied to the ageing of the US population.

The study also showed that the risk of developing dementia after age 55 is 42%, more than double the risk seen by older studies. After age 75, the lifetime risk increases to more than 50%, according to the study.

"Our study results forecast a dramatic rise in the burden from dementia in the United States over the coming decades, with one in two Americans expected to experience cognitive difficulties after age 55," Dr Josef Coresh, a study senior investigator, epidemiologist and founding director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone, said.

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Source: ABC News, 14 January 2025