Dementia is the leading cause of death for women in Australia, and the second leading cause of death overall, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia accounted for over 13,500 deaths in Australia last year, with women making up almost 9000 of those statistics.
The number of people dying from dementia has increased by 68 per cent over the past decade. Since 2008, the death rate has increased from 33.1 deaths per 100,000 people, to 41.6 in 2017.
Janice Besch, Director of NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR) says while dementia has remained Australia’s second leading cause of death since 2015, the new figures are a cause for concern.
“These statistics show that the number of people with dementia is inevitably increasing. If we don’t put our resources into researching this disease, it’s likely we will follow the trends in the UK, where dementia is the number one killer.”
Ms Besch says the statistics involving the high number of deaths of women in Australia are particularly alarming.
“The number of women dying from this disease is just tragic. Typically, Alzheimer’s and other dementias effects our more mature citizens, and we know from population data that women are likely to live longer than men so it could come down to that.”
The $200 million government-funded program ‘Boosting Dementia Initiative’ has already seen over 100 additional experts and one million hours put into finding a cure for the disease.
“For every person who has dementia, there’s a family who has to see a loved one suffer and a carer who has to sacrifice their job and day-to-day life. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” says Ms Besch.
(Featured image: The number of deaths from dementia has increased by 68% over the past decade. Photo: supplied – Dementia Australia)
