Dementia

January 11, 2022

364

In Context

The number of dementia cases in India is expected to almost double by 2050, according to a Lancet report.

Major Points

Worldwide, the caseload is set to almost triple to 153 million in 2050 from 57 million in 2019.
The highest increase in cases is projected for North Africa and the Middle East (367 per cent) and eastern sub-Saharan Africa (357 per cent).
Causes :
- Population growth and population ageing will be the leading cause behind this rise.

About Dementia

It is a syndrome in which there is deterioration in cognitive function beyond what might be expected from the usual consequences of biological ageing.
Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not an inevitable consequence of ageing.
- Currently, more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.
Dementia results from a variety of diseases and injuries that primarily or secondarily affect the brain.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70% of cases.
  - It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement.
    - Consciousness is not affected.
Impacts:
- It has significant social and economic implications in terms of direct medical and social care costs, and the costs of informal care.
- There is often a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia, resulting in stigmatization and barriers to diagnosis and care.

There is currently no treatment available to cure dementia.
- Anti-dementia medicines and disease-modifying therapies developed to date have limited efficacy and are primarily labelled for Alzheimer’s disease, though numerous new treatments are being investigated in various stages of clinical trials.

WHO response:
- WHO recognizes dementia as a public health priority.
  - In May 2017, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025.

Source: DTE