Science & technology | Knowing the worst

It is becoming easier, cheaper and quicker to diagnose dementia

The world’s health services will struggle to cope with the consequences

OF THE ESTIMATED 55m people living with dementia around the world, only one-quarter have been formally diagnosed with the condition. There are many reasons for this. Two are enduring: many patients and clinicians alike wrongly believe that dementia is an inevitable part of the ageing-human condition and, being incurable, is hardly worth diagnosing; and some people experiencing cognitive impairment fear hearing what sounds like a sentence of brain-death, and so do not seek help.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Knowing the worst”

Putin’s new era of repression

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