From 2007 to 2014, there was a decrease in the diagnosed incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Noam Y. Kirson, Ph.D., from the Analysis Group Inc. in Boston, and colleagues describe the incidence of AD in the United States overall and by geographic region in a 5 percent random sample of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older. The incidence was estimated for each calendar year between 2007 and 2014.

The researchers found that from 2007 to 2014, there was a decrease in the diagnosed incidence of AD, from 1.53 to 1.09 percent; for most population areas, trends were similar. The rates of AD incidence varied from 0 to more than 3 percent across population areas in 2014; in areas of the Midwest and the South, the highest incidence rates were observed. Little of the geographic variation was explained by statistical models; following adjustment, the incidence rates increased the most in rural areas of western states.

"Although additional research is needed to understand the reasons behind the observed trends in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, our findings underscore the need to consider regional factors when contemplating policy directives aimed at improving the identification and management of people with cognitive impairment," a coauthor said in a statement.

Several authors are employees of Analysis Group and Eli Lilly and Company.

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