The number of cases of Alzheimer's disease in India may actually be much more than what is being reported, according to experts, as the actual figures could be five times higher, as many patients are not being registered. This is particularly true in the case of those living in villages and small towns. According to a report published in 2023, there are about 8.8 million Indians above 60 years of age who suffer from dementia. However, the actual figure is believed to be much larger.
According to Dr. Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant Neurologist from Apollo Hospital, India is estimated to be home to about 8.8 million to 10 million dementia cases, of which 70 percent are believed to have Alzheimer's disease. These numbers are mostly of those patients whose cases have been registered at hospitals, while many others in rural areas and small towns may not have been diagnosed or registered for the lack of large-scale registries.
Dr. Suri also pointed out the connection between ageing and Alzheimer's disease, stating that the risk becomes greater with aging. As India's population ages and the number of people surviving from cardiovascular diseases and stroke rises because of better management of the diseases, India may expect an increase in Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementia cases.
In addition, the webinar shed light on technological developments that have been made in the field of diagnostic tests to detect any signs of Alzheimer's disease even before developing any cognitive symptoms. Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Founder and Chairperson of Mahajan Imaging & Labs and Mentor at FICCI Health, pointed out that certain blood biomarkers could detect the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease 15 to 20 years beforehand. In addition, he mentioned that FDG PET scans can detect low metabolism in particular regions of the brain during the pre-Alzheimer stage.
According to Dr. Ritu Verma, Director PET CT & Nuclear Medicine at Mahajan Imaging & Labs, PET scans can give a functional perspective of the brain, and it is not possible to achieve the same by using structural imaging alone. She stated that FDG PET can reveal any brain metabolic pattern that is associated with any neurological disease in combination with clinical, MRI, and blood biomarker analysis.
The article also highlighted a blood biomarker test introduced in India in January 2026 as a non-invasive approach for Alzheimer's assessment. Dr. Shelly Mahajan, Lab Director at Mahajan Imaging & Labs, said the pTAU217/βAmyloid1-42 ratio can provide a measurable indication of disease-associated pathology through a blood sample and may bring greater clarity to the diagnostic process when combined with clinical and imaging findings.
Blood biomarkers and PET scans are being increasingly used as important tools in diagnosis, giving medical professionals more data on disease-associated changes. Non-invasive blood tests may make Alzheimer's disease biological evaluation easier and simpler, and imaging techniques will help provide
In addition to improvements in the diagnosis of this problem, experts participating in the webinar laid emphasis on lifestyle aspects that would help lower the risks of memory problems and dementia. Dr. Vinit Suri stressed the importance of doing physical exercises, getting enough sleep, and keeping active mentally and socially. He said that 30 to 45 minutes of physical exercise every day is necessary, and six to eight hours of sleep should be had.
Mahajan Imaging & Labs is an organization dealing with diagnostic services in the healthcare sector. This organization was part of the World Alzheimer's Day webinar where experts spoke about the increasing necessity of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in India and the use of new diagnostic technology. Experts from this organization emphasized the use of PET imaging and biomarkers from blood, such as the ratio of pTAU217/βAmyloid1-42.
