​Fourfold increase since 2010

Scotland has seen a significant rise in Alzheimer and dementia-related deaths according to new statistics.

Figures released by National Records of Scotland (NRS) show there were 6,549 deaths from Alzheimer’s and dementia in 2017, up 17.6% on the year before.

The number of deaths has more than doubled in the last decade, with a near fourfold increase in deaths caused specifically by Alzheimer's since 2010.

It means these diseases are the second leading cause of death in the country, accounting for 11.3% of them, behind ischaemic heart disease on 11.6%.

Age Scotland’s head of policy Adam Stachura said: “Behind every statistic is a real person, family or carer. A rise in deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s is hard to take but sadly it is not a surprise. More and more people are being diagnosed as living with dementia and new methods of recording deaths are reflective of this.

“The number of people living with dementia is expected to rise from 93,000 to 120,000 in the next 20 years so it is vital that people are educated about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of developing these conditions and if diagnosed, are able to live well with it.”

Anne Slater, acting registrar general for Scotland, said: “With a growing and ageing population, it may be expected that the number of deaths will increase.

“The age-standardised death rate adjusts for changes to the population structure and has had a greater decrease over time than the number of deaths.

“However, there has been no improvement in the age-standardised death rate in the last three years, suggesting that we may be reaching a turning point, or a plateau in the long-term downward trend in mortality.”