Dementia Rates Might Be Declining, New Study Finds

Their study showed the rate of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in adults aged 65 and up dropped to about 9 percent in 2012

Rates of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia appear to have fallen considerably since 2000, and better education may be partly responsible, researchers reported Monday.

Better treatment for diabetes and cardiovascular disease may also be helping, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, NBC News reported.

Dr. Kenneth Langa of the University of Michigan and colleagues studied records from 21,000 people with an average age of 75. 

Their study showed the rate of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in adults aged 65 and up dropped to about 9 percent in 2012 from nearly 12 percent in 2000, continuing a decline noted in earlier research.

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