Alzheimer's and Dementia Leading Cause of Death in England and Wales

Statistics found Alzheimer's and dementia to be the leading cause of death in Britain and Wales in 2018, reports The Guardian . Nearly one in eight Britons died from dementia and Alzheimer's last year, representing the fourth straight year of growth. Activists are calling on the U.K. government to meet its promises on adult social care. "We need the government to prioritize dementia with a dedicated National Health Services dementia fund and invest in a plan for long-term social care reform," remarked the Alzheimer's Society's Sally Copley. The Office for National Statistics attributed growth of those developing dementia and Alzheimer's to increasing human longevity, improved odds of surviving other illnesses, and more clinical understanding of the disorder. "The U.K. government currently only invests 0.3 percent of the annual cost of dementia towards research and this is pitifully low," said Alzheimer's Research UK's Alison Evans. "We've called on the government and our new prime minister to join countries around the world and commit to put the equivalent of just 1 percent of the cost of dementia towards research."