Overview

• WHO estimates more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases annually and 60–70% linked to Alzheimer’s.
• India has about 8.8 million people aged 60+ with dementia today and could reach roughly 17 million by 2036, yet clinicians say only around 100 memory clinics serve the country and caregiver strain is high.
• The NHS issued fresh guidance urging people not to dismiss symptoms as normal ageing and to seek GP advice for early signs such as memory problems, difficulty with routine tasks, language issues, and confusion about time or place.
• Experts highlight non‑memory red flags that can appear early in specific dementias, including vision problems, visual hallucinations, personality and behavioural changes, altered eating patterns, and changes in sexual behaviour.
• Researchers report that up to about 45% of dementia risk is modifiable, and large randomized trials (POINTER and FINGER) show multidomain programs—exercise, diet, cognitive and social engagement—produce measurable cognitive gains, reinforcing calls to scale prevention and caregiver support.