The number of people with dementia worldwide will triple from 47 million now to 132 million in 2050.
Dementia is an umbrella term for degenerative diseases of the brain characterized by a gradual decline in the ability to think and remember.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
As the world gets older, the number of people with dementia is set to increase exponentially, notes the World Alzheimer Report 2015, by Alzheimer’s Disease International, released Tuesday. Today there are 900 million people 60 or older. Over the next 35 years, this group will grow by 65% in rich countries, 185% in lower-middle income nations, and 239% in poor countries, reports france24.com
In 2015, there will be about 10 million new cases, 30% more than in 2010.
The global cost of dementia is likewise increasing sharply, increasing more than 35% over the last five years to $818 billion in 2015.