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Study Projects Global Dementia Cases Will More Than Double by 2050
A meta-analysis published Oct. 12 in JAMA Neurology, led by researchers at the University of New South Wales, projects new dementia cases worldwide will rise from 11.4 million in 2023 to 24.7 million by 2050. The study pooled participant-level data from 22 population-based cohorts spanning 38,418 adults age 60 and older across 18 countries, with about 3,001 developing dementia by 2021. Women showed a significantly higher age-standardized incidence rate than men, and low- and middle-income countries had notably higher rates than high-income countries. The projected growth stems from an aging global population rather than rising individual risk, since the analysis assumes constant age- and sex-specific rates.
Why it mattersStates and managed care plans administering long-term services and supports will need to plan for sharply higher demand for dementia-related diagnosis, care coordination, and memory care capacity in coming decades.