A study published in Nature Medicine found that dementia cases in the United States are projected to nearly double by 2060. 

The risk of developing dementia, a condition that causes loss of concentration, judgment, and memory, is 42% for a person after turning 55 years old, according to the research. 

For women, the risk of developing dementia after the age of 55 is 48%, whereas for men, the risk is 35%. Researchers attribute the risk to be higher in women since they have lower death rates. 

The National Institutes of Health and NYU Langone funded the study, which relied on data collected from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study. This study began in 1987 and tracks the cognitive function and vascular health of nearly 16,000 participants as they age.

“Our study results forecast a dramatic rise in the burden from dementia in the United States over the coming decades, with one in two Americans expected to experience cognitive difficulties after age 55,” said Dr. Josef Coresh, the study’s senior investigator and epidemiologist who serves as the founding director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone.  

A previous study found that there is a link between both vision impairment and hearing loss in the development of dementia. One in 5 dementia cases was linked to vision impairment.

While researchers did not find an exact number of cases tied to hearing loss, only a third of people with hearing loss use hearing aids. Coresh recommends making hearing aids more accessible and affordable to combat the development of dementia. 

Researchers also found that black Americans face greater disparity in developing dementia than white Americans. In the next 35 years, dementia cases in black citizens are expected to triple, whereas, for white citizens, they are expected to double.

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To combat the rise in dementia patients, researchers suggested policies that will prevent heart disease, such as blood pressure control and diabetes prevention, which are shown to slow cognitive decline.

“The pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers in particular, who must refocus their efforts on strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more healthcare services for those with dementia,” Coresh said.