From The Guardian:

Deaths from Alzheimer's disease and dementia are steadily rising in England and Wales, as cancer, heart attack and stroke deaths gradually come down.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show an 11.7% rise in dementia deaths in the last year, 2009-10, to a total of 25,106. More than two-thirds – 18,349 – were of women, in part because they live longer than men.

Alzheimer's and dementia are now the third leading cause of death for women, after heart disease and stroke. Falls in other, more preventable and treatable diseases are largely responsible for a 26% rise in dementia deaths over the five years between 2005 and 2010. In the same period, heart disease deaths dropped by 30% in women. Diseases of the urinary system – also linked to old age – increased by 8.1% in that time and lung cancer deaths rose by 3.5%, as smoking continued to take its long-term toll, but most other trends were down.

Labels: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, heart disease, lung cancer, smoking, stroke

posted by jt 6:10 PM 0 comments