Deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease almost doubled

Alzheimer’s deaths and hospitalizations: significant increase over the last 20 years

There has been a dramatic increase in Alzheimer’s disease worldwide, posing a growing challenge for healthcare systems and society. In view of the increasing number of people affected, research and science are called upon to develop and provide new and effective therapies. In addition to drug-based approaches, modern methods such as the various forms of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) are therefore also becoming increasingly important, especially since these, as in the case of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS), have been the subject of more and more extensive research (see also: Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) – Studies)

New avenues in therapy are urgently needed: the Federal Statistical Office in Germany recently reported that the number of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease has almost doubled in the last two decades in Germany.

In 2023, around 10,100 people in Germany died of this incurable form of dementia – an increase of 96 percent compared to 2003, when around 5,100 people died of Alzheimer’s. According to the office, this increase is partly due to demographic change, since the risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases with age. More than half (53 percent) of those who died in 2023 were over 85 years old, while about two percent were younger than 65.

Increase in hospital treatments: Over 60 percent more Alzheimer’s patients in clinics

The number of inpatient treatments for Alzheimer’s disease has also increased significantly. In 2022, around 19,000 people were treated in German hospitals for Alzheimer’s, an increase of 61 percent compared to 2002. At that time, around 11,800 Alzheimer’s patients received inpatient care. Almost half (49 percent) of the treated patients were between 75 and 85 years old, while 28 percent were over 85 years old. Only about six percent of those affected were younger than 65 years. Women made up the majority of treated patients, at 58 percent. The average length of stay in hospital was 20.2 days, well above the general average of 7.2 days.

Alzheimer’s disease: demographic change as a driver of the increase

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the significant increase in deaths and cases of Alzheimer’s disease is closely linked to demographic change in Germany. The population group of people over 65 years of age has grown by 27 percent since 2003 and will comprise around 18.9 million people in 2023. The age group of people over 85 years of age grew particularly strongly, more than doubling in the same period – from 1.4 million in 2003 to 2.9 million in 2023.

Methodological notes on the structure of the statistics

The data on hospital treatments come from the hospital statistics, while the information on deaths comes from the cause of death statistics. It should be noted that multiple counts may occur if a patient has been admitted multiple times for the same main diagnosis within one year. A decline in treatments in 2020 and 2021 is due to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to lower utilization for non-urgent treatments.

The demographic data are based on the results of the population updates as of December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2023. However, changes due to the 2011 census mean that the update data before and after 2011 are only comparable to a limited extent.

Source:

https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/Zahl-der-Woche/2024/PD24_38_p002.html