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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 November 2024
Objectives: In recent years, there has been an increase in suicide rates in Brazil. From 2015 to 2019 we had a 34% increase in self-inflicted deaths. Are there some subgroups at greater risk of suicide, such as the old people with Alzheimer’s disease?
Methods: The data were obtained by consulting the systems of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DataSUS). Population data were measured and compared in the years 2010 and 2022, using the last two censuses.
Results: Between 2010 and 2022, the number of registered deaths of patients with Alzheimer’s increased by 21.93%. Similarly, there was a 100.37% increase in suicides among the elderly population in the same period, compared to a 37.78% increase in the general population.
Conclusions: It is not possible to conclude that the increase in suicide among the elderly is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. However, further studies are needed to determine if there is a correlation.