Home / Health / Dementia Deaths Hit Record Highs in Scotland
Dementia Deaths Hit Record Highs in Scotland
18 Nov
Summary
- Dementia and Alzheimer's deaths in Scotland reached their highest since 2000.
- These conditions now account for approximately one in ten of all deaths.
- Majority of fatalities occurred in care homes and among those over 80.
New figures from National Records of Scotland show a concerning rise in deaths attributed to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, reaching the highest total since the year 2000. In the most recent data, these conditions were responsible for approximately one in ten deaths across Scotland, marking a significant public health concern. The death rate from these neurological disorders has nearly doubled in the past twenty years, underscoring a growing trend.
The data highlights that the overwhelming majority of fatalities, 85%, occurred in individuals aged 80 and above. Furthermore, care homes emerged as the setting for nearly two-thirds of these deaths, with 4,258 recorded in such facilities. There is also a notable gender disparity, with 64% of deaths affecting females compared to 36% affecting males.
While the death rate from Alzheimer's and dementia is 1.3 times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least, it is lower than the overall death rate from all causes in these areas. Officials note that these rising death rates are linked to an increasing population in the oldest age groups, with the average age of death from these conditions being 87.
