Scientists forecast increase of senile dementia in Cuba

Nearly 160,000 people are now suffering senile dementia in Cuba, and the figure is estimated to reach 300,000 in 2040, representing 2.7 percent of the total population, the official newspaper "Granma" disclosed on Tuesday.


Specialists and experts based their assertion on the fact that aging is the main risk factor for developing dementia, and that the island's population is aging fast, due to the low birth rates and the rising life expectancy.

Their research stressed that 19.4 percent of Cubans have already reached the age of 60, a sample of the "relatively fast" demographic aging of the population of the island, with a total population of 11,239,004, according to the National Statistics Bureau.

The research cited calculations from the Center for Population Studies, which estimated that in 2050, Cuba will have 3,598,782 inhabitants aged 60 and over, almost one-third of its total population.

According to the research, eight percent of Cubans over the age of 65 suffer from mild cognitive impairment, which poses a risk of developing mental disorder, while 10 percent suffer from some form of dementia, mostly the Alzheimer's disease.

Juan Llibre, president of the Cuban Alzheimer Section, participated in the study, and remarked that people with higher educational level have lower risk of getting the disease, which is about 30 to 40 percent.

According to the specialists, lifelong education and lifelong learning diminish the risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease, because it helps to develop a cognitive reserve allowing people to continue functioning at a normal level despite experiencing degenerative changes in the brain.
 [Xinhua/China]
15/3/17