Research indicates that dementia, particularly at epidemic levels seen today, was rare in ancient Greece and Rome, suggesting it is a modern condition influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. Ancient texts and comparisons with the Tsimane people, who have low dementia rates, highlight the significant role of contemporary environments in dementia prevalence. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
A recent analysis by USC-led research, published in the Journal of only about 1% suffer from dementia. In contrast, 11% of people aged 65 and older living in the United States have dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
“The Tsimane data, which is quite deep, is very valuable,” Finch said. “This is the best-documented large population of older people that have minimal dementia, all of which indicates that the environment is a huge determinant on dementia risk. They give us a template for asking these questions.”
Reference: “Dementia in the Ancient Greco-Roman World Was Minimally Mentioned” by Caleb E. Finch and Stanley M. Burstein, 13 February 2024, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230993
The paper was supported by funds from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and the