Short men more likely to die from dementia, Edinburgh University finds

The University of Edinburgh has found that height is linked to the risk of death from dementia.

Short men are more likely to die from dementia than taller men, scientists have found, in the first ever study to link height with mental decline in old age.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that men who were 5ft 5 inches or shorter were 50 per cent more likely to develop, and die from dementia, that those who were 5ft 8 inches or taller.

The academics think that height is an important indicator of developmental difficulties in childhood, such as stress, illness and poor nutrition.

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GPs to be paid £55 for each dementia diagnosis

Family doctors in England are to be paid £55 for each patient they diagnose with dementia, NHS bosses say.

NHS England said the aim of the six-month £5m scheme was to increase the number of sufferers who receive treatment for the condition, which causes a decline in brain function.

It is estimated up to 90,000 patients are living with undiagnosed dementia.

But the Patients Association called it "a step too far" that would mean a "bounty on the head" of some patients.

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Dementia is leading cause of death for women

Dementia is the leading cause of death for women in England and Wales, official figures show.

The disease now kills more than three times as many women as breast cancer and thousands more than either heart attacks or stroke.

Analysts say the rising numbers may be because doctors are becoming more aware of the disease and recording it on death certificates more frequently.

Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death in men.

For males, dementia is the third most common cause of death.

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