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.
