Alzheimer’s Disease Mortality Rate: Correlation with Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors

Abstract

The progressive increase in the number of deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Brazil and around the world between 2010 and 2020 raises questions in scientific society. At the same time, there is also an increase in life expectancy at birth (LEB). Thus, the aim of this study was, for the first time, to compare the increase in AD mortality rate (ADMR) in Brazilian regions over the years 2010 to 2020 with the increase in LEB, and investigate the possible correlation between these demographic transition phenomena and pesticide sales and exposure during this period. Data were extracted from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), from the Department of Informatics and Technology of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS) and from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA). There was a significant increase in life expectancy at birth and in ADMR over the years between 2010 and 2020 in all Brazilian regions, with the female population in the South region being the most affected. In conclusion, there is a strong positive correlation between the increase in ADMR and LEB; ADMR and Human Development Index (HDI) and ADMR and pesticide sales and exposure in Brazil over the years studied.

Keywords

• mortality rate
• Alzheimer’s disease
• life expectancy at birth
• Human Development Index
• pesticides