Over-65s with dementia are up to FIVE TIMES more likely to die from Covid

Older Britons with dementia are up to five times more likely to die if they contract Covid, compared to those who don’t, official death data suggest.

Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that men over the age of 65 with dementia had a 4.7 times greater risk of dying from the virus by 2022.

Women in the same age group were 4.4 times more likely to die from Covid if they suffered from the memory-robbing condition.

Experts have suggested that people with dementia are more likely to contract Covid because they might forget to follow advice to reduce the risk of contracting it. Once infected, a weak immune system increases their risk of becoming seriously ill.

While high, the numbers indicate a dramatic reduction in the risk of death from covid among people with dementia compared to the first year of the pandemic.

A study by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine revealed that global cases of dementia will nearly triple by 2050, from 57.4 million to 152.8. But the disease rate is expected to increase, varies between different parts of the world. In Western Europe, cases are expected to rise by just 75 percent, mainly due to an aging population, while they are expected to double in North America. But the biggest increase is expected in North Africa and the Middle East, where cases are expected to rise by 375 percent. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia

The ONS estimated that in 2020, before Covid vaccines were deployed to the majority of vulnerable Britons, people with dementia were seven times more likely to die from the virus.

Statisticians also performed a more detailed breakdown, taking into account age, wealth, other health conditions, whether people lived in a care home and vaccination status.

It found that men with dementia had a 2.93 times greater risk of death compared to those without the condition.

For women with dementia, the increased risk was only 2.34 times higher once these factors were taken into account.

The ONS also found that while Covid was a leading cause of death for people with dementia, it was not the leading cause of death for this group during the pandemic.

Instead, it was dementia itself and related Alzheimer’s disease.

When comparing deaths from all causes, men and women with dementia were about 3 times more likely to die in 2022 than those without the condition.

Dementia is a medical condition related to a decline in brain function.

Common symptoms include memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion, movement and sudden mood swings.

Dementia is a progressive condition, meaning it generally gets worse over time and can be difficult to spot in the early stages.

Most cases are related to either Alzheimer’s disease, which directly damages brain cells, or reduced or restricted blood flow to the brain, which is called vascular dementia and can be the result of an event such as a stroke.

Although dementia is more common in older people, the condition can also affect younger people.

About one in 14 over-65s has dementia, but this rises to one in 6 over-80s.

Dementia by itself doesn’t kill people, but the condition makes them more vulnerable to dying from a variety of conditions.

This may be because, especially as the disease progresses, they are unable to eat or drink, weakening their bodies and making the immune system less able to fight off viruses and bacteria.

Movement problems can also lead to an increased risk of falls, which could be dangerous for older Britons or leave them vulnerable to a subsequent infection.

Dementia is a growing healthcare problem, both in the UK and around the world, as the percentage of people living with some form of the condition rises as the population ages.

The number of dementia cases worldwide is predicted to nearly triple by 2050, from 57.4 million to 152.8 million.

While an estimated 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, it is estimated to rise to 1 million by 2025.