Articles

Women most likely to suffer the burden of dementia than men in the UK and worldwide

16/06/2015

Women in the UK and all over the globe face far greater burden from dementia compared to men, a new study says.

Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), a global federation of 83 organisations supporting dementia sufferers and their families, released “Women and Dementia: A global research review” last June 5.

The study says the risk of developing dementia for any sex becomes two times higher after the age of 65. However, the study’s researchers also found that women 85 years old and above have a 40% higher chance of developing dementia than men.

ADI’s study estimates that there will be 135 million dementia sufferers by 2050 and majority of these will be women because the female population and life expectancy worldwide is higher than men.

In the UK, women make up about 66% of people diagnosed with dementia, according to data collected by ADI’s researchers. Dementia has also become the deadliest disease in the UK insofar as women are concerned, accounting for about 12.2% of total deaths in 2013.

The study also said that women are faced with greater burden when it comes to dementia care. ADI’s researchers said that more women are tasked with providing care for family members suffering from dementia.

As a result of its findings, ADI is calling for governments across the world to address issues surrounding the burden women face with dementia. In particular, ADI recommends more information dissemination and provision of support to assist women in providing dementia care.