The facts and statistics around dementia in the UK, including prevalence, the impact on the economy and investment.
11 things you need to know about dementia
1. Dementia is not a disease itself The word ‘dementia’ is an umbrella term for symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and personality change. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common but other causes include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. 2. Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing It’s true that…
9 things you need to know about the diseases that cause dementia
1. Dementia is not a disease in itself Dementia is a word used to describe a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly. It is caused by diseases. 2. Alzheimer’s is the most common disease that causes dementia It alone accounts for around two thirds of all dementia cases. Symptoms of…
8 things dementia research has achieved
1. Many key research findings have been thanks to families with risk genes taking part in research The discovery of rare genetic faults or ‘mutations’ that cause Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia have revolutionised our understanding of these diseases. This includes identifying key molecular processes involved in the diseases that cause dementia. Research is working to…
How government can make its dementia research moonshot a reality
To improve the lives of people with dementia by 2025, the UK government must: Increase funding for research. Right now, dementia costs the UK economy £25bn each year – projected to grow to £30bn by 2030. If government put the equivalent of 1% of this toward research – £250m – it would more than triple…
