In a study from UCL Epidemiology & Health Care, scientists found the number of cognitive declines in older people more than doubled in ten years.
They looked at data from more than 1.3m adults aged between 65 and 99 years old, taken between 2009 and the end of 2018.
The researchers identified 55,941 adults who had spoken to their doctors about memory concerns and 14,869 people who had a record of cognitive decline.
For every 1,000 people that were observed for one year in 2009, there was 1 new case of cognitive decline being recorded.
By 2018, for every 1,000 people that were observed for one year, there were 3 new cases of cognitive decline being recorded.
The study showed that while memory concern rates had remained stable, incidences of cognitive decline, a step beyond memory concern, had more than doubled between 2009 and 2018.
The study also showed that within three years of following up with a person from the date when the doctor reported a memory concern, 46% of people would go on to develop dementia.
Of people with cognitive decline, 52% would go on to develop dementia.
The team says people who have been noted in their health records as having concerns about their memory are at just under a 50% chance of developing dementia within the next three years.
They also outlined memory concerns and cognitive decline are not only hallmark symptoms of dementia, but they also predict a high risk of developing dementia.
It is important for GPs to identify people with memory concerns as soon as possible to deliver recommendations to improve memory and allow timely diagnosis of dementia.
The authors note one potential limitation of the present study is the potential variations in which doctors record memory concerns and memory decline.
They also say more research is needed to better understand the discrepancy between rates of memory symptoms and cognitive decline in the general population and those recorded in primary care.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Vitamin B supplements could help reduce dementia risk.
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The study was conducted by Brendan Hallam et al and published in Clinical Epidemiology.
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