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(06/12/2025) San Francisco VA researchers discovered dementia risk in older Veterans varies by region across the country. The Mid-Atlantic region of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., had the lowest incidences of dementia. In contrast, the Southeast states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi had the highest. The researchers followed more than 1.2 million Veterans aged 65 and older, who did not originally have a dementia diagnosis, for approximately 13 years. Significant regional differences persisted after accounting for other dementia risk factors such as demographics, rurality, and cardiovascular conditions. The researchers suggested region-specific factors such as education level, access to health care, differences in lifestyle patterns, or other chronic illness rates might play a part in the differences. The findings highlight the need for targeted health care planning and public health services based on regional differences to help address dementia risk. (JAMA Neurology, Jun. 9, 2025)