DEATHS from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have more than doubled since 2000 and have now overtaken deaths from stroke disease, new statistics reveal.
However, the single biggest cause of death is still cancer, which has risen by 6 per cent between 2000 and 2016, the Registrar General of Scotland said.
The figures prompted calls for action charities working with older people and people who suffer from illnesses such as cancer.
Read more: Calls for government to plan now for Scotland's ageing population
The increase in deaths from dementia and Alzheimer's disease -with 5,571 deaths - was partly attributed to people living longer.
Keith Robson, Age Scotland chief executive, said the figures "underline the increasing prevalence of dementia within our society and highlight the need to take the appropriate action to support people who live with it and their families".
He said: "Age Scotland welcomes the existing provision of support following a diagnosis, in particular the commitment to provide support from a link worker for one year of post-diagnostic support.
Professor: Shutting migration door will 'really hurt Scotland'
"However, far too many people who have been diagnosed with dementia have not been able to access this support and provision is variable across Scotland. More also needs to be done to make people aware of what they can do to reduce their risk of dementia and the preventative impact that exercise, diet and drinking can play."
Of the 15,901 deaths from cancer in 2016, breast cancer was the most common among females and prostate cancer for men.
Gregor McNie, Cancer Research UK’s senior public affairs manager in Scotland, said a wide-ranging approach is needed to tackle cancer.
Read more: Calls for government to plan now for Scotland's ageing population
He said: "While these figures are partly driven by an ageing population, much more needs to be done to beat Scotland’s biggest killer.
“Prevention and early diagnosis are key to beating cancer.
"Four in ten cases of cancer are preventable, with smoking and obesity the biggest risk factors.
"That’s why we’re urging the Scottish Government to take the lead in its forthcoming obesity strategy and include measures to tackle junk food promotions.
Professor: Shutting migration door will 'really hurt Scotland'
"We also want the Scottish Government to do more to ensure the health service has the capacity to diagnose cancer earlier, when it’s more treatable.
“But it’s also important to remember that, thanks to research, cancer survival has doubled in the last 40 years and more than half of us will now survive the disease.
"That’s why more research is vital to accelerate progress and find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat all types of cancer.”
John Wilson, interim chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, welcomed improvements but reiterated the challenges ahead.
Read more: Calls for government to plan now for Scotland's ageing population
He said: “It is fantastic news that deaths in Scotland from coronary heart disease have fallen by 46 per cent since 2000, while deaths from cerebrovascular disease, including strokes, have fallen by 39 per cent.
"Advances in medical science mean that increasing numbers of people now survive heart attacks and strokes which would have been fatal only a few years ago.
"However, that means many more people in Scotland are now living with the often devastating effects of a heart attack or stroke.
"Scottish Government health figures show that in over the last decade the number of people in Scotland diagnosed as living with a chest, heart or stroke condition went up by over eleven percent – and is predicted to continue to rise steeply.
Professor: Shutting migration door will 'really hurt Scotland'
"The challenge ahead is that we must do much more to support people living in the community with long term physical health conditions.”
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