Israel sees shocking 40% rise in Alzheimer deaths over decade

A new report issued by the Health Ministry reveals that Alzheimer's disease-related deaths rose by an astounding 40 percent between 2000 and 2010. According to the report, cancer continues to be the number one killer of Israelis — responsible for about one quarter of all deaths — and heart disease is the second leading cause of death.

Close on the heels of heart disease comes diabetes, followed by vascular disease in the brain. Kidney disease rounds out the top five leading causes of death. These five diseases are accountable for 60% of the total deaths in Israel.

Traffic accidents are ranked as the sixth leading cause of death among men, and ninth among women.

The report further indicates that over the last decade, the number of deaths stemming from heart disease and vascular disease in the brain has actually declined by 30%, and deaths caused by chronic respiratory disease have dropped 25%. The diabetes death rate has declined by a sixth. The number of deaths stemming from pneumonia and flu, however, has risen by about a third.

Sadly, Israel's diabetes death rate still tops that of the U.S. and many European countries including Britain, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Spain, France and Sweden. Israel is also number one in deaths stemming from kidney disease and infection. However, the death rate relating to cancer, heart disease, vascular disease in the brain and chronic diseases is lower than the average in the aforementioned countries.

In Israel, the diabetes death rate stands at 28.3 deaths per 100,000 people — far more than the rate in Portugal (23.9 deaths per 100,000 people), which ranks second to Israel in terms of diabetes-related deaths.

Israel also ranks highest in deaths stemming from kidney disease, with a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 people. The country with the second highest kidney disease death rate is the U.S. with 12.2 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Italy and Britain. Israel also leads the pack when it comes to deaths stemming from sepsis, with a death rate of 13.4 per 100,000 people.

Despite this discouraging data, Israel actually has the second lowest death rate overall out of 20 European countries. Switzerland is the only country that enjoys a lower death rate, out of these select countries. In a gender breakdown, Israel's men have the second lowest death rate and Israel's women enjoy the fifth lowest rate after Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy.

The Israeli Forum for a Healthy Lifestyle commented that, "it is no surprise that the leading causes of death in Israel are diseases that stem from an unhealthy lifestyle, including a lack of physical activity, extended periods of sitting, unbalanced diet and high stress factors. We hope that the new government will dedicate part of its focus to addressing the issue, because if nothing is done, Israel's health system will collapse in the coming decade."

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