Recorded Deaths From Dementia More Than Double In 13 Years

New figures released today show the proportion of people dying with a diagnosis of dementia more than doubled in 13 years. According to reports published by Public Health England, 15.8% of all deaths recorded in 2014 had a mention of dementia, up from 6.6% in 2001. In 2014 there were a total of 73,189 deaths with a recorded mention of the condition.

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

“These figures underline an inescapable truth: that with no treatments to stop or slow the diseases that cause dementia, no-one currently survives a diagnosis. With an ageing population, we have seen the numbers of people developing the condition increase over time, and current projections show this number will continue to grow unless new treatments or preventions can be found.

“It’s likely that the rise in mentions of dementia on death certificates is also partly a reflection of recent changes in the approach to death records. There is now greater understanding that dementia is caused by diseases that physically attack the brain, with diseases like Alzheimer’s now more likely to be acknowledged as a cause of death. Diseases can be fought through research, and if we are to tackle the rising number of people living with and dying from dementia, we must redouble our efforts.”