Experts call for 'proportional' dementia research funds

The impact of dementia on the UK's society and economy is higher than ever, according to a new report from the University of Oxford.

While the degenerative condition affects 820,000 people, costing the UK economy £23 billion per year, dementia research receives 12 times less funding than for cancer, the study revealed.

Tim Parry, spokesperson for the Alzheimer's Research Trust which commissioned the paper, said: "Dementia costs the UK economy twice the cost of heart disease and cancer combined. We need a proportional response to the staggering problem we have."

In May 2008, The King's Fund forecast that the number of people with dementia is expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years.

By 2026, the total projected cost of dementia will be £34.8 billion, with a large proportion of this accounted for by informal care from family or friends.

Brits can protect themselves and their families against financial difficulty in the event of dementia diagnosis and treatment by taking out health insurance cover.

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