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Why we need to make dementia the priority it should be There’s no way to sugarcoat it – dementia devastates lives. One in three people born in the UK today will get dementia, and it’s the UK’s biggest killer.
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here are currently 900,000 people living with the condition and that number is set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
WRITTEN BY Kate Lee CEO, Alzheimer’s Society
Dementia care crisis Dementia diagnosis rates hit a five-year low during the pandemic and have stagnated ever since, leaving tens of thousands of people unable to access the support they need. There are currently no treatments available to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most Strategy. Alzheimer’s Society is working with policymakers common form of dementia. This is causing immense stress to ensure that the plans are ambitious and that people living and anxiety for family carers, who are often the primary with dementia have a voice. caregivers for people with dementia. It Thanks to a £5 million award from the is no wonder that people over 50 say that players of People’s Postcode Lottery, dementia is the condition they are most We are making Alzheimer’s Society, along with Alzheimer’s concerned about. progress and believe Research UK and the NIHR, have launched the Blood Biomarker Challenge. This will Tackling dementia head-on we are on the cusp gather the information needed to introduce The picture of dementia may seem bleak, but we cannot bury our heads in the sand. of better outcomes a blood test for dementia into UK healthcare systems. A blood test would be a crucial This colossal challenge will not go away for people affected step in speeding up diagnosis and early on its own. We must make dementia a intervention. priority and tackle it head-on. We need by dementia. to get everyone talking about this major Hope for Alzheimer’s patients health issue. After 20 years without any new Alzheimer’s disease drugs Alzheimer’s Society is at the forefront of this fight. We approved in the UK, two potential drugs, lecanemab are making progress and believe we are on the cusp of and donanemab, have shown promise in slowing the better outcomes for people affected by dementia. We need progression of the disease. These drugs work by targeting to continue to invest in research, raise awareness, and amyloid plaques, which are thought to be a key factor provide support to those affected. Together, we can make a in Alzheimer’s development. If approved, these drugs difference. could represent a major breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Government action We vow not to rest until we have a world where dementia The Government has recognised the scale of the dementia no longer devastates lives. problem and has included it in its Major Conditions
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