One in Eight Elderly Japanese Affected by Dementia

May 09, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A recent study by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has revealed that approximately 4.43 million elderly individuals, or one in eight people over the age of 65, are diagnosed with dementia in Japan.

The survey was conducted across four regions, including Hisayama in Fukuoka Prefecture and the former Nakajima town in Ishikawa Prefecture, targeting all residents aged 65 and older.

The findings indicated that, as of 2022, 12.3% of the population surveyed were diagnosed with dementia.

From these results, it is estimated that about one in every eight elderly individuals nationwide, totaling 4.43 million, suffers from the condition.

A previous survey by the Ministry in 2012 reported that 15.0% of the elderly, or 4.62 million people, had dementia. Moreover, while the 2012 projections for dementia prevalence by 2050 were estimated at 7.97 million individuals, current estimates suggest a decrease to 5.86 million.

Professor Toshiharu Ninomiya from the Graduate School of Kyushu University, who conducted the survey, attributes the decline in future projections to decreased smoking rates, better management of lifestyle diseases, and increased health awareness that may have slowed cognitive decline.

Additionally, the recent survey found that 15.5% of the elderly are in a state of "mild cognitive impairment," which is a precursor to dementia. This is an increase from 13.0% in 2012, and the number is now estimated to exceed 5.58 million people nationwide.

A Ministry spokesperson emphasized the universal risk of dementia with aging and expressed a desire to advance policies aimed at realizing a society coexisting with dementia.

Source: ANN

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