- The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s and there are currently 55 million people with the disorder worldwide.
- While in Mexico there is currently an average of 7.7 cases per thousand people, it is expected that by 2050 the figure will increase to 19.
- The main problem with all forms of dementia is that there is no cure, but what is possible is to delay its onset.
One of the most noticeable changes observed around the world is the increase in life expectancy. People are living longer and longer, although that does not mean that they do so in a better way. In fact, while some diseases have drastically decreased their incidence, there are also others with which the opposite has occurred. The best example is dementia because it is already a serious public health problem that continues to rise.
Innovative medicines and lifestyle change
To begin with, there are factors that have directly influenced this phenomenon. On the one hand, the Drug development allows previously deadly problems to be addressed with some ease.
In addition, lifestyle also influences because current habits are quite different from those that existed a few decades ago. Nowadays it is quite common consumption of ultra-processed products and sedentary lifestylewhich has led to a exponential increase in overweight and obesity rates.
As a result of the aforementioned, there are now more elderly people than ever. While the trend indicates that this sector of the population will be the majority during the following decades. Although it has positive aspects, there is also an adverse one because it deals with the People at higher risk of developing different types of dementia.
This disorder is divided into several types, although the most common is Alzheimer’s because it affects more than 55 million people worldwide. Although according to the World Health Organization (WHO) each year there are about 10 million new cases.
Current and future landscape of dementia
If this scenario is already serious, according to the forecasts of Statista Everything will be worse in the future. It is anticipated that the total number of people with dementia reaches 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050due in part to the growth and aging of the population.
Dementia cases are increasing around the world, and in many countries the number could double in the next 30 years. In Spain, for example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicts that there will be around 41 cases of dementia for every thousand people in 2050, which means that it will be 20 more than today.
It is also expected that in the United States the number of patients with dementia doubles, with about 24 cases per thousand inhabitants expected in 2050. The prevalence of this syndrome, characterized by impaired cognitive function, is expected to even almost triple by 2050 in Latin American nations such as Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. While China would be especially affected, going from eight cases per thousand people today to about 25 by 2050.
Now, although dementia cannot be avoided and there is no cure, there are ways to delay its onset. The main tips are practice some sport regularly, eat healthily, avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption and exercise your memory frequently.
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