Anyone who reads a major newspaper saw yesterday the article on the results of the World Alzheimer's Report. Staggering. More than 35 million people around the world are living with Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. This count is higher than predicted because previous counts have underestimated the amount of dementia in developing countries. Unless there is a major medical breakthrough, this report estimates that the number of people with dementia will double every 20 years, to 115.4 million by 2050. Part of the problem is that in some countries (and I believe that includes some populations in the U.S.) dementia is seen as a normal part of aging. It is not.
The bright side. With this much impact on our human and financial resources, I hope much more emphasis will be put into medical research for prevention and treatment of dementia. Right now this disease affects 1 in 8 over 65 years of age, and 1 in 2 of those over 85. The report urges the World Health Organization to declare dementia a health priority, with new investments in research. Perhaps this is an opportunity for political activism on our part.
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