One in three people born in 2015 will develop dementia, new analysis shows

One in three people born in 2015 will develop dementia, new analysis shows

The research, commissioned by Alzheimer's Research UK and carried out by the Office of Health Economics, set out to calculate the number of people born today who could be expected to develop the condition during their lifetime. The analysis took into account life expectancy estimates for people born in 2015, as well as estimates of dementia incidence in men and women of different ages. It estimates that:

• 32% of people born in the UK in 2015, or one in three, will develop dementia during their lifetime
• 27% of males born in 2015 will develop the condition
• 37% of females born in 2015 will develop the condition

George McNamara, Head of Policy at Alzheimer's Society, said: "Dementia is already the biggest health challenge this country faces. It costs the UK in excess of £26 billion, which equates to £30,000 per person with dementia - more than the cost of either cancer or heart disease. Today's stark finding should galvanise the Government and us all into action. We urgently need long-term, sustainable research funding that is proportionate to the economic and social impact of the condition, but we must also address the stigma that leads to so many people being shunned and excluded from society when at their most vulnerable. We're asking people to become Dementia Friends today - we must unite together to tackle the condition.

"Alzheimer's Society has committed at least £100m to research over the next decade. The quicker we see better investment, the sooner we will get the answers we need to develop treatments, ways of preventing dementia and ultimately a cure."