Dementia Is Now The Leading Cause Of Death!

This is officially the case in England and Wales, with the rest of the world not far behind.

Last year more than 61,000 people died of dementia in England and Wales. It made up 11.6% of all recorded deaths. These figures include all forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common. Previously heart disease was the biggest killer.

Part of the explanation is the fact that heart disease incidence has gone down (while cancer has risen), and dementia is now given more weight on death certificates. However, the fact remains that the incidence of dementia is exploding, and people are developing it at a much younger age. Most of the dementia deaths are occurring in women. This is largely because they tend to live longer than men; often by ten or more years.

Hilary Evans of Alzheimer’s Research UK made a very poignant statement: “These figures once again call attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently, no one survives a diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, it’s caused by diseases that can be fought through research, and we must bring all our efforts to bear on what is now our greatest medical challenge.”

How true. Some individuals in their 80s are living happy, independent lives, whilst others in their early 60s require full time care due to dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, here are some early warning signs of dementia:

• struggling to remember recent events, although you can easily remember things that happened in the past
• finding it hard to follow conversations or TV shows
• forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
• not being able to recall things you have heard, seen or read
• losing the thread of what you are saying
• having problems thinking and reasoning
• feeling overly anxious, depressed or angry
• feeling confused in a familiar environment or getting lost on familiar journeys
• when other people start to notice or comment on your memory loss

There is so much you can do to help the health of your brain. See my book Alzheimer’s: What you must know to protect your brain for my comprehensive 4 point plan.

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