Over half a million dementia cases could go undiagnosed by 2040, study predicts

As the population continues to age, the number of dementia cases in the UK could increase to rise to 1.5 million by 2040, a new study has predicted.

The study report from Future Health also cautioned that over half a million people with dementia could remain undiagnosed by 2040, representing an increase of
nearly a quarter of a million compared to the current figure, if there is “no progress in improving diagnosis rates.”

At present, approximately 850,000 individuals in the UK are living with dementia, with an estimated 315,000 cases going undiagnosed.

Sponsored by Lilly, the study also highlighted significant variations in diagnosis rates across the four nations. Despite improvements, England’s dementia
diagnosis rate stands at 64.6 per cent, falling short of the two-thirds target.