World Alzheimer Report 2015: the global impact of dementia: an analysis of prevalence, incidence, cost and trends

Authors:
PRINCE Martin, et al
Publisher:
Alzheimer's Disease International
Publication year:
2015
Pagination:
82
Place of publication:
London

This report updates previous estimates of the global prevalence, incidence and costs of dementia, based on systematic reviews. The report also includes a review of the evidence for and against trends in the prevalence and incidence of dementia. There are almost 900 million people aged 60 years and over living worldwide and rising life expectancy is contributing to rapid increases in numbers, and is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases like dementia. The report estimates that 46.8 million people worldwide are living with dementia in 2015. This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 74.7 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050. For 2015, the report estimates over 9.9 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide, implying one new case every 3.2 seconds. The global costs of dementia have increased from US$ 604 billion in 2010 to US$ 818 billion in 2015, an increase of 35.4 per cent. Direct medical care costs account for roughly 20 per cent of global dementia costs, while direct social sector costs and informal care costs each account for roughly 40 per cent. The report includes a set of recommendations, including; that dementia risk reduction should be an explicit priority in work led by the World Health Organization, with clear linked actions including targets and indicators; that research investment for dementia should be scaled up, proportionate to the societal cost of the disease; and that this investment should be balanced between prevention, treatment, care and cure. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
dementia, literature reviews, older people, systematic reviews, demographics, costs;
Content type:
research review
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