Poll Shows Three Quarters Of People Are Worried About Dementia

A new poll has highlighted rising public concern about dementia, with figures suggesting that three quarters of people (75%) are worried about themselves or someone they know developing the condition in later life.

The results also suggest that worries about dementia have risen by nearly a quarter (23%) in the last three years, with the biggest increase among 18-24 year olds.

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, said:

“This high level of public concern about dementia is matched by its enormous impact – with 850,000 people living with dementia across the UK, its devastating effects are felt by families up and down the country. It’s possible that the rise in concern may be partly due to greater awareness of the condition in recent years. Slowly we are seeing dementia come out of the shadows but we still need much better public understanding, as less than a quarter of people know that the condition is caused by brain diseases. With no treatments yet capable of tackling these diseases, it’s understandable that many people fear dementia, but research has beaten diseases in the past and we can do the same for dementia. For these fears to be turned into hope for the future, we must see investment in research.”