A groundbreaking study led by Washington University School of Medicine and Newcastle University has revealed a significant rise in dementia prevalence across several Latin American and Caribbean regions over the past two decades. Contrary to declining or stabilizing dementia rates observed in high-income countries such as the U.S., this research provides the first direct evidence of increasing dementia burdens in parts of Latin America, exposing a critical public health challenge.
Analyzing data from nearly 17,000 adults aged 65 and older across five sites—Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico—the investigators conducted two comprehensive population-based surveys approximately 20 years apart. They employed a culturally validated diagnostic method combining cognitive assessments, clinical interviews, and informant reports to ensure consistent and accurate dementia identification across diverse educational and cultural contexts.
The results were stark. Dementia prevalence surged in Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico, rising from about 10% of the elderly population in the early 2000s to nearly 17% by the late 2010s. In contrast, dementia rates in Cuba and the Dominican Republic remained relatively stable during this period. These trends persisted even after adjusting for demographic shifts, including population aging, underscoring a genuine increase in disease burden rather than demographic artifact.
Researchers suggest that the regional disparities observed may reflect differential exposure to modifiable risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and metabolic disorders, which have escalated rapidly in some countries but remained comparatively contained in others. Moreover, persistent social determinants—like poverty and unequal healthcare access—appear to contribute to elevated dementia risk in Mexico and Puerto Rico, indicating that biomedical explanations alone cannot fully account for these rises.
The study challenges the prevailing assumption, largely based on high-income country data, that dementia prevalence is leveling off or decreasing globally. Instead, it highlights an urgent need to recognize and address the disproportionate impact of neurodegenerative diseases in low- and middle-income populations. Enhanced surveillance systems, increased investment in dementia care infrastructure, and targeted prevention programs that address both clinical and social risk factors are paramount.
Importantly, the findings also emphasize that dementia risk remains modifiable. Established interventions such as promoting physical activity, achieving optimal control of blood pressure and blood glucose, smoking cessation, and maintaining social engagement could mitigate disease progression at the population level. Policymakers and healthcare systems in Latin America and the Caribbean face a critical window of opportunity to implement evidence-based measures that could alter the trajectory for future generations.
Given that the study’s estimates of people living with dementia in these regions substantially exceed previous model-based projections, the authors call for further research to explore trends in larger Latin American countries like Brazil and Argentina. Addressing this emerging crisis requires both scientific inquiry and policy action to bridge the global inequalities that shape dementia risk.
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Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Trends in dementia prevalence across five Latin American and Caribbean sites: two decades of rising prevalence
News Publication Date: 13-Jul-2026
Web References: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.2305
Keywords: Dementia, Neurology, Cognitive Disorders, Epidemiology, Latin America, Public Health
