A study in Japan found a link between higher education and reduced risk of dementia. Helen Cortez/EyeEm/Getty Images
  • Researchers investigated how rates of dementia and frailty in Japan will change over time. 
  • They found that educational attainment may predict dementia risk. 
  • The researchers concluded that public health policy should address sex and educational disparities in comorbid dementia and frailty to prepare for population aging. 

Japan has the oldest population in the world. In 2021, around 29.2% of its population, about 36 million people, were over 65, and an estimated 3.5 million have dementia Trusted Source. In 2012, 3 million were estimated to have frailty.

By 2050, 16%Trusted Source of the global population will be over 65 years old, compared to just 8% in 2010. As the population ages, researchers expect corresponding increases in dementia and frailty.

Foreseeing how disease burden may increase alongside population aging could help policymakers improve healthcare for the elderly. 

Recently, researchers created a microsimulation to predict how dementia, frailty, and life expectancy rates will change in Japan by 2043.

Read More:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/higher-education-may-reduce-risk-of-dementia#1