In 20 yrs, dementia count to double in greying India

In 20 yrs, dementia count to double in greying India
Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:46 pm (PDT)

In 20 yrs, dementia count to double in greying India.....Kounteya Sinha
Jaipur: Nearly 3.7 million people in India are suffering from dementia - a syndrome, usually of a chronic nature, caused by a variety of brain illnesses that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and ability to perform everyday activities. What's worse, this number is set to double over the next 20 years, according to the World Health Organization. WHO warns that India, which is experiencing a greying population, will face serious problems in tackling the disease. "The government of India has begun to realize the extent of the situation and the need to establish dementia-sensitive services. The next few years will see the establishment of the National Institute of Ageing, and special provisions for people with dementia in the national policy for older people and the national mental health programme," the report says.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, and contributes to about 70% of cases. Dementia mainly affects older people, mostly above 65 years. Particularly rapid increases in the numbers and proportions of older people are forecast for China, India and Latin America. By 2050, people aged 60 and above will account for 22% of the world's population, with four-fifths living in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The report adds, "It is estimated that by 2050, the world population over 60 years will be two billion." About 2-10% of all dementia cases start before 65 years. The prevalence doubles with every five-year increment after 65 years.
Dementia is one of the major causes of disability in old age. It accounts for 11.9% of the years lived with disability due to a non-communicable disease. Overall, nearly 7.5% of India's population is 60 years and above. In rural India, 7.5% people are aged 60-plus, while in urban India the corresponding figure is 7%. According to the 2006 World Population Prospects, India's 80-plus population will increase more than six times from the existing 78 lakh to about 5.14 crore by the year 2050. Now, 20% of this category in India suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The 65-plus population is expected to quadruple from 6.4 crore in 2005 to 23.9 crore, while those aged 60-plus will increase from 8.4 crore to 33.5 crore over the next 43 years. URL: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/04/12&PageLabel=11&EntityId=Ar01100&ViewMode=HTML