Undiagnosed dementia declined among older adults in Brazil
The share of adults aged 60 or older with undiagnosed dementia fell from 5.53% in 2015–2016 to 3.86% in 2019–2021.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older adults in Brazil, 5 years
- What changed:
- Undiagnosed dementia fell from 5.53% to 3.86% among older Brazilian adults between survey waves
- The catch:
- The underdiagnosis definition missed prior physician diagnoses of dementias other than Alzheimer disease
- Why it’s aging research:
- It bears on staying healthy in midlife and later life.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Brazilian adults aged 60 or older who lived in the community took part in two waves of a nationally representative observational study. The samples included 5,432 people in 2015–2016 and 6,929 in 2019–2021. Their average ages were 70.3 and 71.0 years, respectively; women made up 60.0% and 59.5%.
The researchers classified dementia using an algorithm combining tests of thinking skills, daily functioning and reports from informants. Cases counted as undiagnosed when participants had no prior physician diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Among people classified as having dementia, the undiagnosed share fell from 89.66% to 77.17%. Declines in undiagnosed dementia prevalence were concentrated among women, non-White people, those with four years of education or less, and Northeast residents. Total dementia prevalence did not differ significantly between waves.
Why it matters
Dementia underdiagnosis hinders public health strategies for older populations. The authors suggested that expanding and sustaining primary care may be beginning to reach historically underserved groups.
Caveats
Dementia estimates relied on an algorithm, and the definition of underdiagnosis covered prior physician diagnoses of Alzheimer disease rather than all dementia diagnoses. The comparison did not test whether primary care changes accounted for the decline.
The paper
Faculdade de Medicina; Hospital Moinhos de Vento
Neurology, Nov 6, 2026
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