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The number of dementia medication prescriptions dispensed in Australia has increased by almost 50 per cent in 10 years, a government report has revealed.
According to the report, published on Friday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), nearly 688,000 dementia medication prescriptions were dispensed to 72,400 Australians aged 30 and over in 2022-23.
It marks an increase of 46 per cent from 472,000 prescriptions for 50,800 people in 2013-14 as more Australians seek treatment for dementia, which is an umbrella term for several diseases that destroy nerve cells and damage the brain.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-70 per cent of cases globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The AIHW report estimated that there were 411,100 Australians living with dementia in 2023 and projected that the number will more than double to 849,300 by 2058 as the population grows and ages.
There were 26,300 hospitalizations due to dementia in 2022-23, the AIHW report said - an increase of 24 percent from 21,000 in 2016-17 - and dementia was the cause of one in 11 deaths, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Dementia is a significant and growing health and aged care issue in Australia that has a substantial impact on the health and quality of life of people with the condition, as well as their families and friends," AIHW spokesperson Melanie Dunford said in a statement.
"Dementia was the second leading cause of death in Australia after coronary heart disease, making up 9.3 per cent of all deaths. It was the leading cause of death for women and for Australians aged 65 and over in 2022."
The rate of deaths due to dementia increased from 39 to 69 deaths per 100,000 population in Australia between 2009 and 2022.
The AIHW estimated that almost 763 million Australian dollars (513.3 million U.S. dollars) were spent on health services directly for dementia in the country in 2021.
