Dementia now causes greatest burden of illness, injury and premature death in older Australians

Dementia has now overtaken coronary heart disease as causing the greatest burden of illness, injury and premature death in older Australians, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

It said dementia had overtaken coronary heart disease as the leading cause of disease burden among elderly Australians. Disease burden for a condition is estimated by combining the years of healthy life lost due to ill health with the years of life lost from premature deaths.

For people aged older than 65, the risk of developing dementia doubles every five or six years.

There were 401,300 Australians with dementia in 2022, the AIHW estimated, a 4% increase from 2021.

Without major research developments, the number of people with dementia in Australia is expected to more than double to 849,300 by 2058.

Marie Alford of Dementia Support Australia, a service funded by the federal government, said the growing prevalence of dementia had a significant impact on carers and families.

Dunford said that while age was a risk factor, dementia was not an inevitable part of ageing.

Associate Prof Michael Woodward, an honorary medical advisor for the non-profit Dementia Australia, said the AIHW findings were unsurprising, and pointed to a need for better diagnostics and management.