People are getting dementia later in life and living with it for less time
US experts looked at 5,205 people at four periods between 1977 to 2008.
At the start of the study they were diagnosed at age 80 on average, and lived to 86.
By the end the figures rose to 86 and 90 respectively.
Professor Sudha Seshadri and her colleagues said it is good news dementia's impact "might be compressing a bit".
That is, people might be developing it later and living with it for a shorter period of time.
The researchers said a diagnosis such as "Your father has Alzheimer's disease", or "Your mother has stroke-related dementia" is one a family never wants to hear.
Prof Seshadri added: "There are so far only putative explanations of declining dementia trends.
"They could be the consequences of this last century improvements in education achievement, medical care, lifestyle changes and primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions that would have been beneficial for preserving cognitive health longer."
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