65 Percent Of New Yorkers Over 50 Concerned About Dementia, Memory Loss, Study Says

OCEANSIDE, NY — A new survey from Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital has found almost two-thirds of New Yorkers over 50 have at least some concern about dementia or memory loss. Less common, the survey said, is having spoken to a doctor about it.

The information about cognitive decline concerns came as part of the hospital's “Truth In Medicine” survey, sponsored by FourLeaf Federal Credit Union. While 65 percent of New Yorkers over 50 have some concern about that decline, the survey found that not everyone is being proactive to stop the impacts of aging: only 41 percent of respondents under 70 said they exercised, 35 percent said they play brain games like crosswords and word searches regularly, and 30 percent of respondents said they followed a strict diet, the survey found.

In a time when Americans are working longer on average, Mount Sinai South Nassau officials said the question of aging isn’t just about living longer; it’s about living better.

"Healthy aging is not just about adding years to your life; it is about adding quality life to the years that you live,” Mount Sinai South Nassau President Dr. Adhi Sharma said. “When individuals devote themselves to the prevention of memory loss and chronic disease as they age, they are preserving their independence, dignity, and joy. One way to do that is to be engaged in activities they enjoy, whether it’s volunteering or watching a grandchild or traveling."

Aging wasn’t the only concern expressed in the survey, either: 72 percent of respondents said they were worried about heart disease and stroke, while 71 percent expressed worries about cancer, 68 percent worried about arthritis, 64 percent worried about diabetes and 54 percent worried about respiratory diseases and mental health. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, those concerning conditions were among the leading causes of death in American adults between ages 65 and 74 in 2023.

“The findings from the Truth in Medicine poll underscore that aging, cognitive decline, and caregiving are not distant concerns—they are present realities touching families across New York and throughout the United States in profound and urgent ways,” Alzheimer’s Foundation of America President and CEO Charles Fuschillo said. “The poll data is a call to action. Society must embrace a new mindset—one where healthy aging and caregiver readiness go hand in hand.”

While the poll data is a “call to action,” survey data indicated that many New Yorkers could use such a call. 22 percent of respondents said they sit for much of the day, 27 percent said their diet could use some improvement and 19 percent said they don’t get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least once a week.

For Long Islanders, there are also some small bragging rights to be gleaned from the study: 37 percent of survey respondents said their diet was unhealthy, while only 29 percent of respondents on Long Island said the same thing.

For the organization that sponsored the study, the hope is that it’ll be used for a little bit more than inter-county squabbles.

“We hope the results of this poll will help people understand that aging well is something that requires planning and commitment, not unlike financial planning,” said FourLeaf CEO Linda Armyn said.