Canadian researchers developed a calculator that can predict the chances of those 55 and up getting diagnosed with dementia.
You can count on Canadian researchers to build a calculator that can predict your chances of developing dementia.
Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, the Bruyère Research Institute and ICES developed an online calculator empowering people over 55 to understand how they can reduce the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in the next five years. This is the first tool designed to predict dementia, which refers to loss of memory and other thinking abilities that interferes with daily life, on a population level. Over 6.2 million Americans over age 65 live with dementia and, in Canada, more than 76,000 new cases of dementia are diagnosed yearly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alzheimer’s and dementia deaths increased 16% in the US.
The calculator — or the Dementia Population Risk Tool (DemPoRT) — can estimate the number of new cases in the community, identify higher-risk populations and inform dementia prevention strategies.
