Bad news: Dementia is on the rise. Good news: It's largely because we are living longer

More than one person has probably mistakenly said "every silver lining has a cloud." Here is a case where that jumbled phrase is spot on. Life expectancy is on the rise in most industrialized countries. Unfortunately, this is leading to an increase in dementia according to a new study.

A widespread myth is that once a person reaches 80 and is mentally healthy, they are likely to die without mental incapacitation. The new results clearly show that this is not the case.

Simply stated, countries with aging populations should be prepared for large numbers of elderly patients with dementia. If you are a baby boomer, you have two things to be aware: senior care of your parents and providing for your own care in later life.

Additional reading: there are a number of things you can do to reduce the chance or postpone the onset of dementia. Click on the brain health tag below to see more LifeTwo articles on this subject.