Multicentre population‐based dementia prevalence survey in Japan: a preliminary report

Abstract

Community-based surveys were performed in seven rural areas in Japan to investigate the prevalence of dementia and illnesses causing dementia. A total of 5431 elderly subjects were selected based on census data from 1 October 2009. In total, 3394 participants were examined (participation rate: 62.5%), and 768 dementia cases and 529 mild cognitive impairment cases were identified. Of the illnesses causing dementia, Alzheimer's disease was the most frequent (67.4%), followed by vascular dementia (18.9%), dementia with Lewy body disease (4.6%), mixed dementia (4.2%) and other illnesses. The prevalence of dementia according to 5-year age strata between 65 and 99 years was 5.8-77.7% among the participants. The prevalence of dementia in this study was higher than in previous reports in Japan and other countries. To verify the upward trend of dementia prevalence and its background factors, we have scheduled surveys for three other urban areas in 2011-2012.

Rural–urban differences in the prevalence of cognitive impairment in independent community-dwelling elderly residents of Ojiya city, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

“…This observation is inconsistent with the notion that the prevalence of dementia is higher among women in studies conducted in Japan [28,29]. Nevertheless, a finding similar to ours, i.e., a higher prevalence of MCI in men than in women, was reported by Petersen et al [30], who hypothesized that men may experience cognitive decline earlier in life but more gradually, whereas women may transition from normal cognition directly to dementia at a later age but more abruptly.…”

Differential Association of Frailty With Cognitive Decline and Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…In Japanese, multicenter, population-based studies, the prevalence of dementia was not high among those aged 65e74 years (less than 10%), but was higher among those aged 75 years and older. 24 The prevalence of sarcopenia exhibited the same tendency, with the prevalence rising among those aged 75 years and older. 25,26 Thus, older adults (particularly those 75 and older) are prone to both cognitive impairment and sarcopenia.…”

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in older residents in long-term care facilities in Japan: a cross-sectional study

“…Because age is a risk factor for developing dementia, it is estimated that by 2025 4.7 million people in Japan will suffer from dementia, which is 12.8% of the population aged 65 years or over (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2013). Ikejima et al (2012) recently showed that the prevalence of dementia in people aged 65 or over was 22.5%, which is a higher rate than that estimated by the government. It is well recognized that caring for relatives with dementia is a difficult task for family caregivers, and can lead to stress, physical and mental health problems, and even high morbidity and mortality (Baumgarten et al, 1992;Schulz, O'Brien, Bookwala, & Fleissner, 1995).…”