Reacción a "Dementia is on the rise in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a two-decade study"

The article examines trends in the prevalence of dementia, adjusted for sex and age, in five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic), over a period of 10–17 years, from an epidemiological perspective. It highlights the robust methodology, involving data collection from nearly 18,000 people aged over 65 through a door-to-door survey, with a diagnosis of dementia based on interviews and standardised instruments. The results indicate an increase in the prevalence of dementia in Peru, Mexico and Puerto Rico, whilst it remained stable in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. These findings contrast with the decline in the prevalence of dementia in high-income countries, probably due to greater control of cardiovascular risk factors and improved living conditions in the latter.

There are relatively few studies in these countries. This study is highly relevant, given the more recent and accelerated ageing of the population in this region of the world, which is accompanied by poorer living conditions than in other higher-income regions. Indeed, the recent and accelerated nature of population ageing, coupled with contextual or systemic factors such as the quality of and access to the healthcare system, may explain the increase in the prevalence of dementia observed in Peru, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

We would point out that only a limited number of countries have been studied and that the data do not reflect the rest of a region as vast and diverse as Latin America and the Caribbean. Other limitations include the fact that biomarkers were not included in the diagnosis of dementia, nor was a distinction made based on severity or type of dementia. Most of these limitations, though not all, are acknowledged in the article.

The findings have valuable implications for public health, such as the need to strengthen health, social and care support systems for older people in general and those with dementia in particular. “In any region of the world, but especially in countries with a more rapidly ageing population and poorer living conditions, it is crucial to invest in prevention, improve health and care systems, and tackle risk factors for dementia such as tobacco and alcohol use, obesity and cardiovascular risk.