A new study on the evolution of mental illness, dementia, published in the online journal The Lancet Public Health, says that the number of people with dementia is expected to rise. While stating that strong evidence has emerged to support the importance of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia.

One of which is air pollution.

According to the study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at Washington University in Seattle, US, funded by the Melina and Bill Gates Foundation, it was estimated that the number of people with dementia will increase from 57.4 million cases worldwide in 2019 to 152.8 million cases in 2050.

In terms of gender, the 2019 finding that more women will become ill will continue to hold true, at the same time that geographically, some regions will experience a smaller increase in cases and others a larger increase:

Smaller increases are predicted in Asia-Pacific countries, particularly in high-income countries, and in Western Europe, while the largest increase will be in North Africa and the Middle East and eastern sub-Saharan Africa.

Among the countries with the smallest increase in dementia cases between 2019-2050 is Greece (45%).

According to the researchers, the study update, for 2020, shows that up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or at least slowed down by combating 12 risk factors: low education, hypertension, hearing loss, smoking, middle-age obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, social isolation, excessive alcohol consumption, head injuries and air pollution.

See below the survey: www.thelancet.com