If current trends hold, the world is heading toward roughly 25 million new dementia cases every year by the year 2050. That’s more than double the 11.4 million people estimated to have developed the condition in 2023, according to a new analysis in JAMA Neurology that tracked more than 38,000 adults across 18 nations, reports USA Today. The spike is largely tied to aging populations, but it won’t hit evenly: Women are developing dementia at higher rates than men, and people in low- and middle-income countries see far more new cases than those in wealthier nations—13.6 vs. 8.3 per 1,000 people, respectively.
Researchers say nearly half of cases may be linked to modifiable factors such as inactivity, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and social isolation, making prevention a central focus. Meanwhile, a geriatrician reveals the No. 1 “modifiable” risk factor for dementia, reports Today: hearing loss. A recent study also ties napping to dementia risk, per US News & World Report.