The number of cases of dementia world-wide is likely to double every 20 years, say researchers.
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An aging population in China could see many cases |
A report for Alzheimer’s Disease International, published in The Lancet, found a new case of dementia arising every seven seconds.
It estimated 24.3 million people currently have dementia, with 4.6 million new cases being diagnosed each year as the population ages.
By 2040 the number is predicted to have risen to 81.1 million.
The report said most people living with dementia are in the developing world, with five million in China alone.
This compares with 4.8 million in Western Europe and 3.4 million in North America.