CHENNAI: India would be among the top five nations that would have to face by 2020 the problem of increasing number of aged people suffering from
dementia, a disease relating to mental deterioration of organic or functional origin, T S Srinivasan Charitable Trust Chairman Venu Srinivasan said on Saturday.
In his address at the 25th T S Srinivasan Endowment Oration, he said that dementia was clearly linked with aging. "It is estimated that by 2020 the top five nations with elderly populations will face the problem with China and India topping the list", he added.
He said according to Alzheimer's disease International (ADI) there were 24 million people with Dementia worldwide. "While Dementia has received much attention in developed world, few recognize that an epidemic of dementia looms over developing nations like India", he claimed.
He said until now the care of the elder in India had traditionally remained with the extended family. "However, important sociological changes pervade urban India today, with nucleus families becoming the norm, and consequent isolation of the elderly", he added.
C Morris, Professor of Neurology, Washington University, said in US alone five million people were affected by dementia and it would double in 2025. "The disease is likely to grow in lesser developed countries including India", he added.
dementia, a disease relating to mental deterioration of organic or functional origin, T S Srinivasan Charitable Trust Chairman Venu Srinivasan said on Saturday.
In his address at the 25th T S Srinivasan Endowment Oration, he said that dementia was clearly linked with aging. "It is estimated that by 2020 the top five nations with elderly populations will face the problem with China and India topping the list", he added.
He said according to Alzheimer's disease International (ADI) there were 24 million people with Dementia worldwide. "While Dementia has received much attention in developed world, few recognize that an epidemic of dementia looms over developing nations like India", he claimed.
He said until now the care of the elder in India had traditionally remained with the extended family. "However, important sociological changes pervade urban India today, with nucleus families becoming the norm, and consequent isolation of the elderly", he added.
C Morris, Professor of Neurology, Washington University, said in US alone five million people were affected by dementia and it would double in 2025. "The disease is likely to grow in lesser developed countries including India", he added.