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Dementia

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Neurological Disorders in the Arab World

Abstract

Dementia is increasingly recognized as a major public health challenge due to the aging of the populations in both the developed and the developing world. In 2005 it was estimated that there were 24 million people with dementia worldwide. This chapter reviews the data available on the incidence, prevalence, subtypes and risk factors of dementia in the Arab World, as well as on societal costs and psychosocial aspects of dementia. Studies on dementia among Arabs are limited, as almost half of the papers are on the Palestinian population living in Wadi Ara in Israel. The available studies show that the pattern of dementia among Arabs is not different from that in other parts of the world. The prevalence of dementia among Arabs varies from very low in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia to very high in Wadi Ara. Age is considered as a risk factor of dementia in Arab populations. Alzheimer’s disease is more common among females whereas vascular dementia is more common in males. Some vascular risk factors seem to contribute to the development of dementia in various Arab populations. Illiteracy and a low level of education have been shown to be risk factors of dementia in some Arab populations. Apolipoprotein E 4-allele was not considered as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in Wadi Ara. The cost of dementia in the Arab World was estimated at US$ 6.6 billion in 2009. It is clear that there are significant opportunities for further research on dementia among Arabs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK

    Hani T. S. Benamer FRCP, PhD

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  1. Hani T. S. Benamer FRCP, PhD
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© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Benamer, H.T.S. (2014). Dementia. In: Neurological Disorders in the Arab World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07257-9_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07257-9_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07256-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07257-9

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