Ten-year trends in hospitalizations due to Alzheimer’s disease in Brazil: a national-based study

Abstract

Abstract: Brazil has the second highest age-standardized prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide. However, information about Alzheimer’s disease-related hospitalizations in Brazil is scarce despite its economic and social impact. We described temporal trends in hospitalizations related to Alzheimer’s disease in Brazil from 2010 to 2019. We conducted a time-series, retrospective, descriptive, national-based study using data from the DATASUS database of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Hospitalizations, mean days hospitalized, and economic costs from those hospitalizations were extracted from 2010 to 2019. Hospitalizations by Alzheimer’s disease increased 87.7% from 2010 to 2019, with greater increase among men (97.4%), mixed ethnicity (224%), 80 years or older (115.1%), and in the Northeast (172.1%) and Central West (144.2%) regions. Although mean days hospitalized decreased in all subgroups, an increasing time trend in hospital admission was observed in the Central West Region. Costs per hospitalization increased for patients aged 50 years or younger and in admissions related to emergency services. Compared with other non-communicable chronic diseases, Alzheimer’s disease had the highest increase in absolute number and rate of hospitalizations in Brazil from 2010 to 2019. AD is a public health problem in Brazil. Strategies to reduce its burden are necessary but only if accompanied by greater equality and awareness of this disease.