Dementia strikes growing number of boomers
January 5, 2009
Comments on this story
(13)
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are typically seen as afflicting the elderly, but new data suggest an increasing number of baby boomers are also being struck by the brain-destroying diseases.
Of the half-million Canadians affected by various forms of dementia, about 71,000 – or almost 15 per cent – are under 65, says a study by the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Of those, 50,000 are 59 or younger.
"We know that we're finding far more individuals in their 50s and 60s who have dementia," said society CEO Scott Dudgeon. "We're talking about dementia generally, including Alzheimer's disease."
The rising tide of cases among these not-quite seniors as well as their older counterparts is poised to swamp the health-care system and severely affect the economy, Dudgeon warns.
With Canada's aging population, the society predicts that within five years, an additional 250,000 people could be diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
Toronto Star