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What is the tldr

• bookofjoe 7y ago
  >Discussion Among US adults aged 50 to 64 years in this poll, nearly 50% believe they are at least somewhat likely to develop dementia. Non-Hispanic black American individuals have a higher prevalence of dementia than other racial or ethnic groups, but in this survey, they perceived their risk as lower relative to other groups. Those with fair to poor physical health did not accurately perceive that their likelihood of developing dementia was potentially higher than respondents with very good or excellent physical health. In contrast, fair to poor mental health had the largest association with perceived likelihood of dementia, even though less evidence suggests that poor mental health is causally linked with dementia. Poll respondents report engaging in a variety of strategies to maintain or improve memory that are not evidence based. While managing chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, could reduce dementia risk, few respondents appear to have discussed this with their physician. Given repeated failures of disease-preventing or disease-modifying treatments for dementia, interest in treatment and prevention have shifted earlier in the disease process. Adults in middle age may not accurately estimate their risk of developing dementia, which could lead to both overuse and underuse if preclinical dementia treatments become available. Policy and physicians should emphasize current evidence-based strategies of managing lifestyle and chronic medical conditions to reduce the risk of dementia.