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Australian-led international study shows an estimate of 11.4 million people worldwide developed dementia in 2023, with the number of new cases projected to rise to 24.7 million annually by 2050.
Dementia is a syndrome characterised by a decline in memory, thinking and other cognitive abilities severe enough to affect a person’s ability to perform everyday activities, commonly associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, led by researchers at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at the University of New South Wales, Australia, analysed data from 38,418 people across 22 population-based studies in 18 countries and territories, according to a statement from the centre on Tuesday.
The research, Published in JAMA Neurology provides a new global benchmark for understanding the frequency of new dementia cases across different populations and the changing global dementia landscape.
The finding shows that dementia incidence is higher among women than men, at 10.6 cases per 1,000 person-years, compared with 8.6 cases among men.
The incidence rate is also substantially higher in low- and middle-income countries, at 13.6 cases per 1,000 person-years, compared with 8.3 cases in high-income countries.
Dementia currently affects more than 57 million people worldwide, with previous research projecting that the number of people living with the condition will reach about 150 million by 2050.
“The higher incidence we observed in low- and middle-income countries is particularly concerning because these regions are experiencing rapid population ageing while often having the fewest resources for prevention, diagnosis and care,” said senior author and CHeBA Co-Director, Prof. Perminder Sachdev.
The study does not establish the reasons for the differences by sex or income level, which may reflect a combination of health, social, economic, educational and environmental factors, the researchers say.
NAN
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