Research highlights urgent need for renewed focus on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Ottawa, March 1, 2022 — While Alzheimer’s disease is a growing concern in Canada, scientific advancements have shed more light on its pathology and are opening the door for new treatments, according to new research released today from The Conference Board of Canada. The research calls for a national response to the dementia crisis and identifies immediate next steps, however, the introduction of these treatments is expected to create significant challenges for our health systems.

“To be effective, clinical research shows these treatments need to be administered in the very early stages of the disease,” said Isabella Moroz, Senior Research Associate at The Conference Board of Canada. “Unfortunately, the time it takes to diagnose Canadians who present with symptoms of dementia is currently unacceptable, with at least 50 per cent of cases not diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Our research identifies system-level gaps that exist in Canada’s dementia care capacity and offers solution-based recommendations to help improve our health systems so Canadians will have access to current and future innovations in diagnostics and treatments.”

More that 20 health sector leaders gathered in November 2021 with the common goal of formulating steps that can be actioned in the next six to 12 months to advance timely diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias across Canada. Canada’s leaders offered specific recommendations pertaining to:

All agreed that progress will require a concerted multi-stakeholder effort, orchestrated within Canada’s National Dementia Strategy, and supported by dedicated federal and provincial government funding.

“This report brings to light the many challenges we face around Alzheimer’s disease and the necessary measures to confront this growing burden on our healthcare system and Canadians,” said Eric Tse, General Manager, at Biogen Canada Inc. “If we work together now and take a proactive approach to address these needs, we can prepare for the future to change the trajectory of this devastating disease. By accelerating implementation of these measures and reaching people sooner, we have the potential to give them the chance to live independently longer and lessen the burden on individuals, families and the healthcare system.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in Canada and is the 8^th leading cause of death. Over 6,000 Canadians are lost to the disease annually according to Statistics Canada. Nearly 1 million Canadians will be living with dementia by 2031 and the associated costs are expected to approach $17 billion per year according to the Alzheimer Society. To address this growing crisis, the Canadian government released its first National Dementia Strategy in 2019, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada is currently in the third year of the five-year strategy and it is unclear whether its objectives and commitments can be achieved within the original time frame.

The Conference Board of Canada’s research calls for renewed commitment to the National Dementia Strategy and outlines the immediate actions necessary to prepare Canadian health systems for the surge in demand for access to care and support services.

The research is available here. Media should contact [email protected] with any questions or interview requests.

The research was made possible with support from Biogen Canada Inc.