Global dementia sufferers expected to triple by 2050

The number of people with dementia is predicted to triple in 30 years, with 152 million people affected globally by 2050, international projections suggest.

The research, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Denver, Colo., suggests much of the increase will be fuelled by population growth and an aging population.

Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine calculated that the total number of people living with the condition is set to increase from an estimated 57 million in 2019 to 152 million by 2050.

Much of the growth is set to be fuelled by a surge in cases from sub-saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East.

However, recent data have suggested that the rate of increase in Britain may be slowing.

Hilary Evans, the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research U.K., said: “Dementia is our greatest long-term medical challenge.

“These striking figures, from the latest American research, lay bare the shocking global scale of dementia.

“To have 57 million people already living with this devastating condition is 57 million too many. However, with that number set to almost triple, we need to see concerted global action now to transform the prospects for the next generation.”

She encouraged people to make “positive lifestyle changes” in order to “help tip the scales in our favour” when it comes to the chances of developing the condition.

“There is robust evidence that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.

“Not smoking, only drinking within the recommended limits, staying mentally and physically active, eating a balanced diet, and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check can all help to keep our brains healthy as we age.”

Separately, researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands estimate that every year there are around 10 new cases per 100,000 people of “young onset” dementia — the form of the affliction found among people aged 65 and under.