Projected Global and SDI-Region Care Costs for Alzheimer Disease and Associated Dementias, 2023 to 2050: A Stratified Analysis Based on Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Data.

OBJECTIVE

To project the economic burden of Alzheimer disease and associated dementias (ADAD) care globally and across sociodemographic index (SDI) quintiles from 2023 to 2050, explore disparities by age, sex, and region, and provide evidence for targeted care policies.

METHODS

Based on Global Burden of Disease 2021 data, we estimated ADAD care costs by integrating years lived with disability, caregiving hours, and wage rates. Regions were stratified into 5 SDI levels, with sex- and age-specific subgroup analyses. Direct care labor costs and their proportion in national GDP were quantified, and temporal trends were forecasted and visualized using R software.

RESULTS

Global ADAD care costs rose from USD 0.18 trillion in 1990 to USD 0.33 trillion in 2023, and are projected to reach USD 0.53 trillion by 2050. Females sustained 64.7% of the total burden in 2050, with widening gender gaps at advanced ages. High-SDI regions contributed the largest costs (USD 477.6 billion by 2050), while low-SDI regions had the fastest growth rate of 219.4%. Cost peaks shifted to the 80 to 89 age group, with those aged over 80 accounting for over 50% of total costs. The GDP share of care costs increased nearly 15-fold in low-SDI regions, but only 34.8% in high-SDI regions.

CONCLUSION

The global economic burden of ADAD will continue to rise, driven by population aging, female preponderance, and marked regional inequalities. Tailored strategies are urgently needed, including efficiency improvement in high-SDI areas, financial and infrastructure expansion in low- and middle-SDI regions, and early intervention, gender-sensitive support, and long-term care system reform worldwide. All monetary values use the short-scale convention: 1 billion=1000 million (10 9 ), and 1 trillion=1,000,000 million (10 12 ).