Episode 34: An Alzheimer's scholar on the paradox of declining dementia rates

Although billions of dollars have been poured into potential pharmaceutical cures for dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, none so far have been proven to slow or stop the disease from progressing. Yet even without an effective drug, incidence rates of dementia in the United States and several other countries have decreased since 1998. Why? Social changes like lower smoking rates and better education, along with better population-level health, have improved brain health.