WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found that dementia rates are significantly higher in certain parts of the U.S., even after accounting for factors like income, education, and health conditions.
'The study underscores the need to understand regional differences in dementia and the importance of region-specific prevention and intervention efforts,' said senior author Dr. Kristine Yaffe.
Their study, published in JAMA Neurology, analyzed medical records from over 1.2 million veterans aged 65 and older through the Veterans Health Administration.
Using the Mid-Atlantic region (including Pennsylvania and Virginia) as a baseline, they discovered that dementia rates were 25 percent higher in the Southeast (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi), 23 percent higher in the Northwest and Rocky Mountains, 18 percent higher in the South (Texas, New Mexico), 13 percent higher in the Southwest (including California), and 7 percent higher in the Northeast (New York and New England).
While the researchers considered factors like rural living, heart disease, and education, the regional patterns remained mostly unchanged, suggesting deeper, less measurable reasons for the differences.
'It's possible that the differences are explained by lifelong differences in things like education quality and social determinants of health might be driving some of the differences,' Yaffe noted.
They also noted that veterans may not fully represent the general population, as they often have higher risks due to issues like PTSD and brain injuries. Despite this, the study highlights how a person's location may influence their risk of developing dementia.
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