From: mjs23x@gmail.com   
      
   Dementia deaths soar by two-thirds in only three years   
   But cancer and heart fatalities are falling   
      
   Scottish Daily Mail   
   9 Mar 2017   
   By Rachel Watson Deputy Scottish Political Editor   
      
   SCOTLAND is winning the fight against the Big Three killers, heart disease,   
   cancer and stroke – but the number of people dying from Alzheimer’s has   
   soared by two-thirds in three years.   
   Official figures have revealed a dramatic drop in deaths caused by the Big   
   Three since 2013.   
   But there was a 64 per cent increase in Alzheimer’s fatalities in the three   
   years to 2016.   
   The annual figures released by the Scottish Government yesterday recorded   
   births, deaths and marriages last year. They showed the number of births   
   dropped to a ten-year low of 54,488 – 612 less than in 2015.   
   The number of deaths dropped by 851 to 56,728.   
   A cause-of-death breakdown revealed 6,651 people died of heart disease – a   
   drop of 8 per cent from 7,239 in 2013. The number killed by stroke fell from   
   4,446 to 4,143.   
   There was also a 1 per cent drop in cancer deaths, from 16,379 to 16,239.   
   But the number of people killed by Alzheimer’s rose from 1,196 to 1,963.   
   An Alzheimer Scotland spokesman said: ‘Dementia is the biggest health and   
   social care challenge faced by society today.   
   â€˜There are 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland and the number is   
   on the rise.   
   â€˜We need much more research into the causes of dementia, treatments and   
   supports that allow people to live well with dementia, as well as prevention   
   and cure.   
   â€˜Alzheimer Scotland is passionate that nobody should face dementia alone and   
   is working across communities every day to help raise vital funds to support   
   our 24-hour Freepsaid: hone National Dementia Helpline, dementia advisers,   
   resource centres across    
   Scotland and the Dementia Research Centre at Edinburgh University.’   
   Yesterday’s figures also revealed an increase in deaths caused by diabetes,   
   from 708 to 859. There were 2,116 accidental deaths, up from 1,892.   
   There was a rise in those dying from falls, up from 787 to 863, and poison   
   deaths climbed from 663 to 784.   
   There was also an increase in transport-related deaths, from 191 to 204.   
   Dr Emma Smith, Cancer Research UK’s science information manager, ‘More   
   people are surviving cancer than before, thanks to improvements in the ways   
   cancers are diagnosed and treated.   
   â€˜Over the last 40 years, survival has doubled and keeping that momentum is   
   vital to ensure we can bring the benefits of research to patients faster.   
   â€˜But there’s much more to be done to help more people survive cancer. This   
   is particularly true for cancers where there’s been little improvement in   
   survival, such as oesophageal, pancreatic and lung cancers and brain   
   tumours.’   
   A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Dementia is more common as people are   
   living longer and a large proportion of very elderly people are at risk of   
   Alzheimer’s disease.   
   â€˜We will publish a third National Dementia Strategy shortly, which will   
   include a major focus on palliative and end-of-life care for people with   
   dementia.   
   â€˜Those with a new diagnosis of dementia are entitled to a year’s worth of   
   post-diagnostic support, coordinated by named and appropriately trained staff.   
   â€˜For people with Alzheimer’s, this includes support to adjust to and   
   understand this particular type of dementia, plan early for future care   
   options and connect better to the range of clinical and non-clinical dementia   
   services and community support.â   
   €™   
      
   â€˜Biggest challenge faced by society’   
      
      
   https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20170309/281767039020741   
      
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