Burden of Disease and Risk Factors

Dementia is the most common form of neurodegenerative condition and is increasingly frequent as world population ages. It is a leading cause of death and is responsible for considerable morbidity, expressed in the high levels of functional dependence and institutionalization. From a resource management and prevention point of view, it becomes crucial to better characterize the epidemiology of this entity, namely its geographic distribution, its risk factors and impact at a population level. The fact that there are at present no disease-modifying treatments justifies an investment in the identification of modifiable risk factors that may be contemplated in prevention strategies. Recent epidemiologi cal studies increasingly recognize an association between vascular risk factors and cognitive deterioration. Key-words: dementia; epidemiology; risk factors; burden of illness.