Life expectancy in dementia subtypes: exploring a leading cause of mortality

Dementia affects around 40 million people worldwide, and due to the rapid ageing of the population, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, this number is expected to double over the next two decades.1 Dementia is known to be associated with shortened life expectancy, making it the fifth leading cause of death in high-income countries.2 Dementia, also called major neurocognitive disorder, is clinically defined as a cognitive disorder severe enough to affect activities of daily living, leading to loss of autonomy, which gradually worsens over time.