How common is dementia in uk?

Dementia is a serious disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It refers to a group of symptoms related to memory loss and cognitive decline, which can interfere with daily activities. In the UK, dementia has become one of the leading causes of death among adults over 65 years old.

However, there are some interesting facts you may not know about this disorder. Keep reading below to find out more.

What is Dementia?

Before we dive into how common dementia is in the UK, let’s first understand what it means.
Dementia comes from Latin “de-” (without) + mens (mind). So literally without mind! People often confuse it with Alzheimer’s disease but they’re not entirely interchangeable- whereas Alzheimer’s disease counts for around two-thirds of all diagnoses within those aged under 70 whilst other forms account for roughly half .

It isn’t a normal part of aging but rather diseases that impair cognitive functioning like Parkinson’s or Huntington’s etc., which gradually becomes worse as time goes on if left untreated affecting communication skills and causing extreme mood swings.

Statistics

Statistics provide an insight into how common dementia works across different parts of society. Here are some relevant numbers:

• Over 850k people in the UK have been diagnosed with some form or other.
• There were ~16k deaths where dementia was deemed principal cause registered last year; comparable – or exceeded by – to many prevalent cancers combining
• One study estimates one-in-eight men aged between sixty-five and sixty-nine will experience Dementia-related illnesses while amongst women at age seventy it probably rises towards similarly probable amonges males.

The above facts might seem shocking (or even expected) depending on your knowledge/background regarding these aforementioned disorders/diseases – yet let us uncover something else intriguingly weird:

Did you know that there has been significantly little research attempting any meaningful solution thus far? That perhaps it assumes a lower priority for governments worldwide??

Risk Factors

Dementia can affect anyone, although certain factors may increase the risk:

Age

Let us start with its main perpetrator- age. Aged ascends complexities to cognitive and physical abilities; that being said it doesn’t mean all elderly people would have an overbearing chance of attaining dementia or any risk factor associated.

Genetics

Shared DNA increases the likelihood of Dementia among relatives – however this is not necessary but it does play a role sometimes

Lifestyle factors:

These include smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption/sugar (in excess), unbalanced diet : one without essential vitamins/minerals ,…The list goes on!

Although these things do not directly cause dementia, they make healthier lifestyles more manageable which in turn decreases other risk factors too.

Symptoms

People experiencing dementia face numerous symptoms including delusions about their past or whereabouts. They might experience difficulties understanding anything simple from mathematics[1] to following basic instructions – if someone you know starts showing indications resembling those please take them to see professionals asap . Some common behavioural alterations consist of irritability/petrifying anxiety plus depression notably amongst patients around periods where there are complex lapses commonly medically referred to as sundowning . Performing routine day-to-day activities such as bathing frequently becomes increasingly time-consuming so look out for the tell-tale signs that espouse rapidly shift emotional/behavioral patterns.

Diagnosis

At present no known cure exists therefore implementing some form preventative measures remains imperative after-diagnosis; keeping environmental stimuli consistent whilst picking your battles wisely whether at home/outside family members reportedly help straightforward daily affairs maximize time allocated especially when mental faculties degrade hastily – act expediently towards adverse changes involving forgetfulness,cognition decline while performing trivial tasks like cleaning/walking driving/crossing busy roads etc., so call GP’s immediately.[2]

In many cases diagnosis involves checking mini-mental state assessments, cognitive evaluations (i.e., verbal language skills), PET scans or MRIs among others.

Treatment

There aren’t any known cures unfortunately but some medications can help manage symptoms with varying success. Donepezil rivastigmine gallantamine are the most common treatments available at the moment -they have side effects as usual such as nausea and vomiting amongst other things to boot [3] so not recommended in all cases especially if you wouldn’t particularly like to experience those side-effects even if your condition’s deteriorating it varies depending on patient preferences/goals; something specialists take into account during consultations.[4]

Additionally lifestyle interventions may produce beneficial results e.g regular exercise + a balanced diet implementing medicines sometimes is inevitable-like Dementia-related illnesses however managing behavioural patterns remains a prerequisite alongside these,[5] active engagement/new hobbies display positive/optimistic indications that increase Quality-of-Life-levels regardless of situation

Numerous charities/touch groups exist out there providing support for dementia related issues – save their numbers somewhere safe just in case Future-you might need them!

Conclusion

Dementia affects people from all walks of life, making it an important disorder to address. Luckily there are measures we can take to reduce our risk factors including living healthier lives through better eating habit/exercise seeing GP’s when necessary helps catch early signs vital preventative action is also possible albeit new solutions don’t exist yet increasing funding towards research could unlock drugs capable of reversing damage caused earlier before irreparable damage occurs inside neural pathways which eventually leads to brain-damage ,so we hope this article has been informative and humorous about one of the most pressing health challenges in today’s world .