By 2050, 1 in 4 people to develop dementia in Canada will be Asian: study

Over the next 30 years, the number of people living with dementia in Canada is expected to triple according to a 2020 study by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Now, new data released by the organization takes a closer look at specific groups and shows that one out of every four people who develop dementia in Canada by 2050 will be of Asian origin.

Dr. Joshua Armstrong, the lead author of the study titled “The many faces of dementia in Canada,” says the numbers are directly connected to the main risk factor for dementia – aging.

“In the 1970s we saw a shift in immigration and we saw shift towards Asian countries, and then those individuals that came over in the seventies, eighties and nineties are now getting older, over the age of 65. And with that increased age comes increased risk for dementia,” he explains.

He adds that the data does not indicate a causal relationship between Asian ethnicity and dementia risk, meaning people of Asian descent are not at a higher risk for developing dementia because of their ethnicity.

“Asian populations are actually a bit of lower risk compared to other ethnicities, but just because of the demographic makeup of the Asian population in Canada, we expect to see those numbers increasing drastically,” he says.

The study also has a separate chapter dedicated to Indigenous people in Canada, with a projected 273 per cent increase in people living with dementia by 2050 in that population.

“I think when we’re thinking about population health for Indigenous populations in Canada, we have to talk about the impact of colonialism and how that impacts all aspects of health, the determinates of health,” says Armstrong.

Speaking to that point, the study mentions the stress generated by having to cope with racism.

“Stress is important part of our lives and it can cause us to respond and act. However, chronic daily stress from things like racism can have a negative impact on the brain, and that negative impact on the brain over a life course can really lead to some negative health outcomes, including dementia,” he says.

He adds that there are other risk factors like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure that are higher within certain populations and lower in others, so it is expected that dementia rates will follow suit in those groups.

“So trying to recognize the different conditions and how we can best support them to try to alleviate them, maybe we can reduce dementia risk within those subpopulations and then therefore across the country as well,” Armstrong says.

“I think it’s really important to not just focus on those individual factors, those things that individuals can control, but also think about how we, our society is organized and how it influences health outcomes across all populations in Canada.”

In addition, Armstrong adds that the study looks at not only shared characteristics, but also shared differences across populations to better understand the needs of different groups, so that services can be adjusted and optimized to meet those differing needs.

However, a one size fits all approach doesn’t work when it comes to dementia.

“There’s a famous quote within the report that we share. It’s, ‘if you’ve met one person living with dementia, then you’ve met one person living with dementia.’ Everyone’s unique,” he says.

“So when we’re looking at trying to support someone living with dementia, really recognize that’s an individual, that person has a story and try to address that individual in a person-centered way and address their needs, no matter what characteristics we’re talking about … and look at how we can tailor our supports to fit their needs.”

Read the full report here.