News archive 2009

2009 World Alzheimer's Report

21 Sep 2009, PR 194/09

The number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s will nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050, according to the 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report prepared by researchers at King's. More than 35 million people worldwide will have dementia in 2010. The new report is released on 21 September, which is World Alzheimer’s Day.

The 2009 report, published by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), was prepared by a research team headed by Professor Martin Prince from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London. It covers the global prevalence of dementia, the impact of dementia worldwide, and a detailed analysis of the challenges faced by governments and healthcare systems worldwide.

The updated figures for the numbers of people with dementia worldwide represent a 10 per cent increase over the previous global dementia prevalence reported in 2005 in The Lancet. This change is driven mainly by new information from recent studies in low and middle income countries. The proportions of older people affected are now significantly higher than previously estimated for three world regions: South Asia (5.7 per cent vs. 3.4 per cent), Latin America (8.5 per cent vs. 7.3 per cent) and Western Europe (7.3 per cent vs. 5.9 per cent).  The proportion in East Asia is lower (4.98 per cent vs. 6.46 per cent) and in North America effectively identical.

Increases over the next 40 years in the number of people with dementia will be much steeper in low and middle compared with high income countries. As a consequence, while the researchers found that 57.7 per cent of people with dementia in 2010 live in low and middle income countries, this will rise to 70.5 per cent by 2050.

The costs of caring
The report highlights that, among older people, dementia makes the largest contribution of any of the chronic diseases to disability and needs for care. The need for long term care is the main driver for the societal cost of dementia, estimated at $315 billion per year worldwide. In high income countries, the cost of community care and of supporting people in care homes accounts for a large proportion. In all world regions family carers subsidize society through their unpaid contributions, while themselves incurring costs due to lost opportunities to work, and hiring additional paid carers.

Professor Martin Prince comments: ‘Caring is a full time job – an average of around eight hours per day for a relative with moderate to severe dementia. In all parts of the world, carers, who are most commonly female and the spouses or children of the persons with dementia, often experience high levels of strain. Studies reviewed in the new report suggest that half to three quarters of carers have significant psychological illness, while up to a third have clinical depression. While these numbers are staggering, the current investment in research, treatment and care is actually quite disproportionate to the overall impact of the disease on people with dementia, their carers, on health and social care systems, and on society.’

Marc Wortmann, ADI’s Executive Director, adds: ‘The crisis of dementia and Alzheimer’s can no longer be ignored. Unchecked, Alzheimer’s will impose enormous burdens on individuals, families, health care infrastructures, and the global economy. There is hope yet, if action is taken now to fund improvements in dementia care services, and to increase investment in research. Australia, France, Korea and England have developed national Alzheimer’s action plans, and several more are currently in development.’

In order to tackle the challenges faced by governments and healthcare systems worldwide, the report offers eight global recommendations based on the findings. Crucially:

• The World Health Organization, and governments worldwide, need to declare dementia a global health priority.
• Awareness raising is needed worldwide.
• High income countries should be aiming for comprehensive, integrated, high quality services, meeting the needs of patients and carers at all stages of the illness.
• In low and middle income countries the focus should be upon first strengthening the capacity of primary care to diagnose and treat dementia, and to provide long term advice and support to carers.

Notes to editors

For more information about the report contact:  Marc Wortmann, Alzheimer’s Disease International  Mob: +31 653 131 811

For interviews with Professor Martin Prince, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London contact: martin.prince@kcl.ac.uk. 

For copies of the World Alzheimer’s Report summary contact:  antonina.surdi@kcl.ac.uk or louise.a.pratt@kcl.ac.uk Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London  Tel: +44 (0)207 848 5377/8

The full 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report, including the methodology used to prepare it, can be found at http://www.alz.co.uk/worldreport.

Dementia is a syndrome due to brain disease and is characterized by a progressive, global deterioration in intellectual abilities, including memory, learning, orientation, language, comprehension, and judgment. Alzheimer’s disease, in particular, is progressive and fatal. It mainly affects older people, especially those over age 65. After this age, dementia prevalence doubles every five years. Dementia is one of the major causes of disability in late-life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia; vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia are the next most common.

21 September is World Alzheimer’s Day, when Alzheimer organizations worldwide raise awareness of the disease. For more information, visit http://www.alz.co.uk/adi/wad/.

Alzheimer's Disease International
Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) is an international federation of 71 Alzheimer associations around the world, in official relations with the World Health Organization. Each member is the national Alzheimer association in their country that supports people with dementia and their families. ADI's mission is to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their families throughout the world. Please visit http://www.alz.co.uk/adi/.


King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



Further information
Louise Pratt
Communications Officer
Public Relations Department
Email: louise.a.pratt@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 5378

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