By Senior Journal - World Alzheimer’s Day was greeted with bad news this morning - more than 35 million people worldwide will have dementia next year, according to the new 2009 World Alzheimer Report by Alzheimer’s Disease International. There are already about 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The new dementia projection is a 10 percent increase over previous global dementia prevalence reported in an ADI study published in 2005 in The Lancet.
And, what is even more dramatic, the report projects, dementia prevalence will nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050.
According to the researchers, the increases in global dementia prevalence were driven primarily by new data from low and middle income countries. Estimates for three regions are higher – Western Europe, South Asia and Latin America than the 2005 estimates. The estimate for East Asia is lower.
The estimate for North America, while slightly higher, is effectively identical.
“The information in the 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report makes it clear that the crisis of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease cannot be ignored,” said Marc Wortmann, ADI’s Executive Director.
“Unchecked, dementia and Alzheimer’s will impose enormous burdens on individuals, families, health care infrastructures, and the worldwide economy.”
“There is hope in taking action and raising awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s, to improve and fund dementia care and services and to increase investment in research,” Wortmann said.
“For example, Australia, France, Korea and the UK have developed and are implementing national Alzheimer’s and dementia action plans, and several more are currently in development.”
ADI is a London-based, nonprofit, international federation of 71 national Alzheimer organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association in the U.S.
“The number of people affected by Alzheimer’s is growing at a rapid rate, and the increasing personal costs will have significant impact on the world’s economies and health care systems. We must make the fight against Alzheimer’s a priority here in the United States and worldwide,” said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.
In addition to new prevalence estimates, the report outlines challenges faced by governments and health care systems worldwide to meet the needs of the growing numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, their families and caregivers. The research team offers eight global recommendations based on report findings.
About Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia is a syndrome due to brain disease. It is usually chronic, and is characterized by a progressive, global deterioration in intellectual abilities, including memory, learning, orientation, language, comprehension, and judgment. Alzheimer’s disease, in particular, is progressive and fatal.
Dementia mainly affects older people, especially those over age 65. After this age, dementia prevalence doubles every five years. Dementia is one of the major causes of disability in late-life and is linked to a large number of underlying brain diseases.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia; the next most common are vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia.
Prevalence Increases Driven By Low and Middle Income Countries
According to the 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report, much of the increase in dementia prevalence is clearly attributable to increases in the numbers of people with dementia in low and middle income countries. The researchers found that 57.7% of all people with dementia worldwide in 2010 live in low and middle income countries, rising to 70.5% by 2050. (See chart at bottom of this page.)
In addition, proportionate increases over the next 20 years in the number of people with dementia will be much steeper in low and middle compared with high income countries. The report forecasts a 40% increase in numbers in Europe, 63% in North America, 77% in the southern Latin American cone and 89% in the developed Asia Pacific countries. These figures are to be compared with 117% growth in East Asia, 107% in South Asia, 134-146% in the rest of Latin America, and 125% in North Africa and the Middle East.