Why is the dementia rate declining?

Although the sheer numbers of people diagnosed with dementia increases as Baby Boomers age, the proportion of older folks who suffer the affliction is falling – at a rate of about 20 percent each decade since the 1970s, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Research from the University of Michigan and other medical centers show similar findings.

TRENDPOST: No one knows why the rate is falling, but scientists speculate that sentience in old age may be related to education: Well-educated people have more neural connections and pathways to begin with, and individuals who make lifelong use of the mind may keep it intact longer. Boomers are the first generation to have attended high school and college in such high proportions.