Report says more that 35 million have dementia worldwide

More than 35 million people around the world are living withAlzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, says the most in-depthattempt yet to assess the brain-destroying illness — and it’s anominous forecast as the population grays.  The new count is about10 percent higher than what scientists had predicted just a few yearsago, because earlier research underestimated Alzheimer’s growing impactin developing countries.  Barring a medical breakthrough, theWorld Alzheimer Report projects dementia will nearly double every 20years. By 2050, it will affect a staggering 115.4 million people, thereport concludes  “We are facing an emergency,” said Dr. DaisyAcosta, who heads Alzheimer’s Disease International, which released thereport Monday.

The U.S. and other developed countries long havebeen bracing for Alzheimer’s to skyrocket. But the report aims to raiseawareness of the threat in poorer countries, where finally people areliving long enough to face what is mostly a disease of the 65-and-olderpopulation.  While age is the biggest driver of Alzheimer’s, someof the same factors that trigger heart disease — obesity, highcholesterol, diabetes —seem to increase the risk of dementia, too.Those are problems also on the rise in many developing countries.Inpoorer countries, “dementia is a hidden issue,” Acosta said, and that’scomplicating efforts to improve earlier diagnosis. “You’re not supposedto talk about it.”

Source/more:  Associated Press, http://www.ahiphiwire.org/Clinical/News/Default.aspx?doc_id=406096&utm_source=9/21/2009&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HiWire_Newsletter