Prevention and management of dementia: a priority for public health

Abstract

Today, nearly 50 million people worldwide have dementia, with this figure projected to increase to 75 million by 2030 and to 132 million by 2050, 1 Prince M Wimo A Guerchet M Ali GC Wu YT Prina M World Alzheimer report 2015—the global impact of dementia: an analysis of prevalence, incidence, cost and trends. Alzheimer's Disease International, London2015 Google Scholar largely driven by population ageing. Dementia causes not only disability and dependency for individuals affected by the disorder, but can also have a profoundly detrimental effect on family and other carers, who are at high risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders. 2 Mahoney R Regan C Katona C Livingston G Anxiety and depression in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer disease: the LASER-AD study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2005; 13: 795-801 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (311) Google Scholar The cost of caring for people with dementia is more than US$800 billion per year globally, rising to $2 trillion by 2030. 1 Prince M Wimo A Guerchet M Ali GC Wu YT Prina M World Alzheimer report 2015—the global impact of dementia: an analysis of prevalence, incidence, cost and trends. Alzheimer's Disease International, London2015 Google Scholar With no disease-modifying treatments for dementia currently available, health-care systems are in danger of becoming overwhelmed by the future costs of caring for people with dementia. Progress on dementia—leaving no one behindThe Lancet Commission Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care1 makes a timely evidence-driven contribution to global efforts to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers, and limit the future impact on societies. The Commission proposes ambitious prevention targets, treatment of cognitive symptoms in people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, individualised dementia care, provision of care for carers, planning for the future for patients and families, risk protection balanced with respect for autonomy, management of neuropsychiatric symptoms, consideration of dementia in end of life care, and use of technological innovations to improve care but not replace social contact. Full-Text PDF Dementia prevention, intervention, and careActing now on dementia prevention, intervention, and care will vastly improve living and dying for individuals with dementia and their families, and in doing so, will transform the future for society. Full-Text PDF