Rapid Rise of Alzheimer's Disease Predicted in China and India

Introduction

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While developed nations such as the US and Japan are already struggling with the strain of Alzheimer's disease upon society, emerging countries such as India and China are now expected to see a rapid increase in Alzheimer's cases during the coming years, due to phenomenal growth in their elderly populations, states a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData.

GlobalData's report*, which forecasts prevalent cases of Alzheimer's disease segmented by sex and age for the population aged 60 and over in each country, states that 12.5 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's disease across the nine major markets covered; namely the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, China, and India.

This figure is expected to increase by 33.5% over the next decade to a total of 16.7 million prevalent cases in 2022, as rapidly aging populations in different parts of the world lead to an explosive increase in the global burden of Alzheimer's disease.

Throughout the forecast period, GlobalData believe that the US and China will have the highest number of prevalent cases of Alzheimer's disease, with higher numbers than the five EU countries combined, while India will demonstrate the fastest growth rate.

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, neurodegenerative brain disease associated with a progressive decline in memory, thinking, language and learning capacity.

The condition represents an escalating international health crisis, and is the most common cause of dementia and dependence among elderly individuals. Alzheimer's disease has several known risk factors, encompassing genetics, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues, but disease risk primarily increases with age, almost doubling every five years after one reaches 65.

As life expectancy continues to grow, thanks to advances in medicine and medical technologies, the resulting growth in the elderly population will inevitably increase the number of people living with Alzheimer's disease, for which there is currently no cure. Rising patient numbers means that national healthcare systems, families and caregivers are likely to feel the strain, and another upcoming report from GlobalData's PharmaPoint series will look at how important Alzheimer's disease management will be in facing critical challenges with respect to resources, funding and prioritizing by governments.

This report provides an overview of the risk factors and comorbidities associated with Alzheimer's disease, as well as global trends in prevalence in the seven major markets (the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan) in addition to emerging markets China and India. It also includes a 10-year epidemiological forecast of prevalent cases of Alzheimer's segmented by sex and age.

This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GlobalData's team of industry experts.

GlobalData is a leading global research and consulting firm offering advanced analytics to help clients make better, more informed decisions every day. Our research and analysis is based on the expert knowledge of over 700 qualified business analysts and 25,000 interviews conducted with industry insiders every year, enabling us to offer the most relevant, reliable and actionable strategic business intelligence available for a wide range of industries.

Epicast Report: Alzheimer's Disease - Epidemiology Forecast to 2022