Recent research coming out of the University of Michigan has caught press headlines across the nation. The finding? Almost half of the 1,000 older adults surveyed, aged 50-64, in a 2018 study believed that they were likely to develop dementia. These findings stem from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, led by Dr. Donovan Maust and suggest that many don’t understand the connection between physical health and brain health. Even further, these findings indicate that many don’t understand how racial differences can affect dementia risk. Substantial numbers of people who rated their health as fair or poor thought their dementia chances were low. At the same time, many who said they were in excellent health said they were likely to develop dementia.
Dr. Donovan Maust
“We really haven’t done a good job of getting the word out that there really are things you can do to lower your risk,” said Maust. Center Director, Dr. Henry Paulson commented on this study’s discovery saying that “We at the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center are thrilled to see folks take notice of this important work by Dr. Maust and his team. Healthcare providers must do a better job educating ALL folks about strategies to reduce dementia risk.” As a Center, we must continue to educate and inform the state of Michigan and beyond about what they can do now to prevent this disease.
Interested in learning more about this study? It’s available online here.