Bottom Line: A poll suggests almost half of adults ages 50 to 64 believe they're likely to develop dementia. The survey included 1,019 respondents who were asked what risk they perceived and what potential risk-reducing measures they took. Of the participants, 48.5% said they were at least somewhat likely to develop dementia during their lifetime. Many participants reported strategies to try to maintain or improve memory that aren't evidence based. Only a few participants (5.2%) had discussed potential ways to reduce dementia risk with their physician.
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Authors: Donovan T. Maust, M.D., M.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and coauthors.
(doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.3946)
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