Social inequalities in dementia care, cure, and research

Social inequalities in dementia can be found in diagnosis, cure, care, and research. Less advantaged groups are women, persons with ethnic minority status, lower income, lower education, and living in more deprived or rural areas. These social inequalities suggest that funding of research and medical and care expenses related to dementia may not be equitably allocated to those in need, even in the most advanced countries. Experience from the field of heart disease gives an estimate on the timescale and efforts it takes to successfully address social inequalities related to gender. Strong concerted efforts will be needed to mitigate social inequalities in dementia.