Dementia - How common is it?
If someone in your family has Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, you are not alone. More than 750,000 people in the UK have dementia.
The chances of getting dementia increase as you get older. This table shows the number of people in different age groups in the UK who have some form of dementia.[2] More than half have Alzheimer's disease.[1]
| Age | Number of people with dementia |
|---|---|
| 40 to 65 | 1 in 1000 |
| 65 to 70 | 1 in 50 |
| 70 to 80 | 1 in 20 |
| 80+ | 1 in 5 |
The number of people affected by dementia is increasing because more people are living longer. By 2010 the number of people in the UK with some form of dementia is likely to rise from 750,000 to 840,000.[2]
References
- Katzman R. Alzheimer's disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 1986; 314: 964-973.
- Alzheimer's Society Statistics [Alzheimer's Disease] Alzheimer's Society
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
