The prevalence of dementia has been estimated at 7.7% in the 60-plus age group inAndhra Pradesh, while the national Average stood at 7.4%. About 8 lakh people may contract dementia – a medical condition that can affect memory, thinking, Personality, and reasoning – by 2036 in Andhra Pradesh.
The number of people battling this syndrome in AP in 2016 stood at about 4.5 lakh. These numbers are based on a nation-wise study that was conducted by using representative data collected in India between 2017 and 2020.
As per the study, dementia is considerably more prevalent among individuals with lower Education. As is the worldwide trend, this longitudinal research work also found that the number of Women being affected by dementia is almost twofold compared to their male counterparts.
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir has a 11% dementia prevalence in the senior citizens, the highest for any state/Union Territory in the country, while Delhi has the lowest at 4.5%. The study – namely ‘prevalence of dementia in India: national and state estimates from a nationwide study’ – was published in the ‘Alzheimer’s & Dementia’ journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.