Dementia cases to treble worldwide by 2050: study

The number of people suffering from dementia worldwide is set to explode in the coming decades as the population ages, trebling by 2050, according to a study released Thursday. Some 44 million people already live with the disease, according to the report by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), with this figure set to rise to 135 million by 2050. "It's a global epidemic and it is only getting worse -- if we look into the future the numbers of elderly people will rise dramatically," said Marc Wortmann, executive director of ADI, which represents Alzheimer's groups worldwide. "It's vital that the World Health Organisation makes dementia a priority, so the world is ready to face this condition."