Dementia is now the main cause of death in England and Wales, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Last year, more than 61,000 people died of dementia in the UK – 11.6 per cent of all recorded deaths for that period.
Dementia – an umbrella term that includes Alzheimer's Disease – is now responsible for more deaths in Britain than heart disease.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Due to improvements in treatment, diagnosis and awareness, the mortality rates for the other top five leading causes of death – including heart disease – have fallen since 2001," says The Guardian, while the ONS suggests the increase in reported dementia-related deaths can be causally linked to better diagnoses rates of the disease.
It also says the ageing population is responsible for the increase.
Heart disease remained the leading cause of death for men in 2015, though overall numbers were higher for dementia. However, if all cancers were listed as one disease, it would be top of the list by a considerable margin.
Hilary Evans of Alzheimer's Research UK said: "These figures once again call attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently, no one survives a diagnosis of dementia."
A 25-question test developed by Dr Vincent Fortanasce, a clinical professor of neurology, is intended to give respondents a sense of their brain age, and help them understand whether they could do more to improve their mental fitness.
The test is included in full below. Note: this test should be considered a guide only. If you have any concerns, visit your GP.
-
How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
-
In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
-
Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
-
Lecanemab: the Alzheimer’s drug that could herald a cureSpeed Read Treatment slowed memory decline by 27% over 18 months but there are concerns over safety
-
Aducanumab: what scientists are saying about new Alzheimer’s drugIn Depth US regulator’s approval comes in the wake of significant scientific debate over treatment’s effectiveness
-
Seven risk factors for dementiaSpeed Read New study finds just one in three adults in UK know the disease may be preventable
-
Dirty air linked to increased dementia riskSpeed Read Researchers say people in highly polluted areas are up to 40% more likely to develop the disorder
-
Barbara Windsor’s husband reveals her Alzheimer’s battleSpeed Read Deteriorating health has left 80-year-old former Eastenders star in ‘continual confusion’
-
What is dementia and how can it be prevented?In Depth Healthy lifestyle may cut risk regardless of genes, finds new study
-
Sweet success as chocolate pill hits UK shelvesSpeed Read Tiny tablet could cut the risk of heart attack, stroke and dementia
-
Busy roads could be linked to dementia risk, researchers saySpeed Read Major study finds people living close to heavy traffic are more likely to develop the disease
