Dementia deaths dropping
Dip in 2019 breaks decade- long trend
DEATHS from Alzheimer's and dementia have fallen for the first time in a decade. In 2019, 66,424 people in England and Wales died from these conditions, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. That was a drop of 4.4 per cent compared to 2018, when 69,478 people died - the first time the number has decreased since 2009.
The rate of death from Alzheimer's and dementia also fell, from 123.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018 to 115.1 per 100,000 last year, meaning the drop is not simply due to population differences.
But experts warn this doesn't indicate that fewer people are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's, as there will be many more people who have died with these conditions where they were not the ultimate cause of death.
The figures begin in 2001, when there were 26,502 deaths that were caused by dementia and Alzeimer's, and the number has steadily increased since.
The ONS say this has been due to a number of reasons, including both an increase in cases but also a rise in the number of existing cases being diagnosed.
Dementia is an umbrella term for various symptoms ranging from memory loss to having difficulty holding a conversation - and Alzheimer's disease accounts for the majority of cases.
The condition mainly affects older people, and after the age of 65 the likelihood of developing dementia roughly doubles every five years.
In 2019, the rate of death from Alzheimer's and dementia was highest in those aged 95 and over.
There were 7,306 deaths from these conditions for every 100,000 people in this age group last year - staggeringly higher than the rate for ages 65 and under, at 0.6 per 100,000.
In all age groups above 80, women were more likely than men to die from these illnesses, but men were more likely to between the ages of 65 and 79.
Zena Aldridge, admiral nurse research fellow at Dementia UK said: “These statistics suggest a drop in deaths related to dementia in the UK.
“However we need to contextualise the factors which may have influenced this data, such as coding, dementia diagnosis rates and other conditions that people with dementia are likely to experience.
“The fact remains that even if it is not the cause of someone's death, the person will still die with dementia.”
Gavin Terry, head of policy at Alzheimer's Society, said: “This is an unusual result that we weren't expecting to see, while of course it's good news that fewer people died from dementia last year.
“But it doesn't reflect the overall pattern we've seen up until now – with deaths from dementia rising year-on-year, in line with estimated prevalence numbers, due to our increasing ageing population, combined with improved awareness of dementia across society and better diagnosis of the condition.
“While this may be a short-term blip, there is evidence in any case to suggest that people with dementia are living longer, supporting our calls for dementia care to be prioritised across society.”
The Brain Charity is an organisation that provides support for people with neurological conditions and their families.
A spokesman for the charity said: “While we welcome the news there has been a significant reduction in the number of people dying from Alzheimer's and dementia, we urge caution as one year's data is not enough to produce a trend.
“Likewise, while we are aware of ongoing studies into the impact of Covid-19 on people living with dementia, a clear relationship has not yet been identified and it is too early to say how this might affect future statistics.”