A pan-India study has revealed that dementia, a debilitating disorder that affects memory and cognitive function, is prevalent among an estimated 7.4% of seniors, or 8.8 million individuals, in the country. This figure is notably higher than previous estimates, which had put the prevalence at 3.7 million in 2010 and predicted it would double by 2030. The new findings suggest that the number has doubled a decade earlier, underscoring the pressing need for better care and support.
Maharashtrahas been identified as one of 11 states where prevalence is higher than the national Average. It is 7.61% in the state, with researchers projecting that individuals living with the condition in the state will rise from nearly a million to 1.8 million by 2036. Notably, the study, led by researchers from theUniversity of Southern California, andAIIMS, in collaboration with 18 other institutes, including Mumbai’sJJ Hospital, found wide variations in the presence of dementia among different states.
Dementia prevalence was found to be almost double among Women (9%) than men (5.8%), which experts have linked with differences in Education and early life Nutrition. Prevalence was also higher in the rural areas at 8.4% than in urban areas (5.3%), underlining the urgent need to scale up diagnosis in rural Health facilities. Further, lower education was associated with a greater risk of dementia even in this study. The estimated prevalence was 10% in those with no education at all, compared to 4.5% in those who had primary level education and 1.5% in those who went to eighth standard and above.