2015 saw dementia and Alzheimer’s as the leading cause of death for the first time at 11.6%.
Largely due to better methods of diagnosis paired with an ageing population, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures indicate that 61,686 people died from either dementia or Alzheimer’s last year.
Elizabeth McLaren, Head of Life Event Statistics at the ONS, said: “In 2015, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease became the leading cause of death in part because people are simply living longer but also because of improved detection and diagnosis. An updating of the international rules for determining the underlying cause of death is also a factor, with the increase in cases attributed to these conditions accompanied by falls in other causes.”
For those with dementia, as the condition progresses, it is likely that their mental capacity will deteriorate.
