Scientists from the University of Tokyo and Stanford found that more Japanese people will live longer and that overall years spent living with dementia will decrease.
They used a database of 40 million people and examined the future of Japan’s aging population up to 2043.
The research is published in The Lancet Public Health and was conducted by Professor Hideki Hashimoto et al.
Taking care of older members of society is a common concern around the world.
Japan is famous for its long-lived residents, the number of which continues to rise. In 2020, almost 30% of the Japanese population was aged 65 years or older, and this age group is not projected to peak until 2034.
Caring for people with age-related ailments, such as dementia and frailty, poses a challenge both to individuals and public health care systems.
Microsimulation models, which are computer models that can provide detailed analysis on an individual basis, are currently used to project future population health in some countries, such as the U.K. and the U.S.
In the study, the team created a new microsimulation model for Japan that accounts for 13 chronic conditions (including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and dependency), as well as frailty and dementia.
Using an ultra-large data system, they were able to ‘follow’ a virtual cohort of more than 40 million people aged 60 and over from 2016 to 2043.
The findings showed hope for a future where many people live longer and more healthy lives.
The team found that in Japan, despite an aging population, the number of people with dementia is expected to decrease over the next two decades
Population aging does not necessarily mean an increase in social burden for care, but it does bring a diversity of problems that require careful study and science-based policy attention, to close the health gap.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that taller men have a lower dementia risk, and this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that antioxidants may protect you from dementia, and results showing this eye surgery may reduce dementia risk.
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