More old people in England have dementia than ever before, statistics have revealed. A total of 453,881 over-65s were living with the brain-destroying illness in May this year, a rise of more than 17,000 from last year. Improved ability to spot dementia, which is usually caused by Alzheimer's disease, and people living longer are leading to higher rates. Experts have called for a revolution in tackling the 'health crisis' which now accounts for around one in every seven deaths in England and Wales. The number of people over the age of 65 living with dementia in England has risen from 431,786 in November 2016 to 453,881 in May this year. Experts say an ageing population and improved testing account for sharp rises in the official figures NHS statistics released today showed the record high number of old people living with dementia after a dip in the figures last year. The data first started being collected in 2016, when the number of over-65s diagnosed was 424,390, showing a rise of 29,000 in three years. Dementia causes people's personalities to change, their bodies to become weaker and their memory, language and brain power to crumble. It most commonly affects older people and can eventually kill them by causing devastating damage to nerves in the brain. 'The rising number of dementia diagnoses demonstrates that dementia, already the leading cause of death, is not a health crisis that will go away on its own,' said Alzheimer's Research UK's Helen Davies. 'We must revolutionise the way we diagnose and treat the diseases that cause dementia to better equip the NHS to improve people’s lives. 'We know that future dementia treatments will bring significant improvements to quality of life but will also have a major impact on our health system. WHAT IS DEMENTIA? Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way. Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer's. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million. In the US, it's estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer's sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years. As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed. IS THERE A CURE? Currently there is no cure for dementia. But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are. Source: Dementia UK 'That’s why Alzheimer’s Research UK and our Dementia Access Taskforce are working to ensure the NHS can take on new diagnostic tools and treatments as soon as possible.' The total number of people diagnosed with dementia in May was 470,234 meaning there are 16,353 people in England living with dementia under the age of 65. Across all ages the total number of people was a slight drop from March, when there were 79 more. Devon has the most older people living with the brain condition – there are 11,236 over-65s living with it there. It is followed by Derbyshire (9,446), Birmingham and Solihull (8,550), Dorset (8,340) and Bristol, North East Somerset and Gloucestershire (7,477). Bradford City has the fewest people living with dementia, with just 493 – 11 times lower than Devon. Corby, Crawley, Vale Royal and Halton in Cheshire, Swale and Ashford in Kent, Surrey Heath, and the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Barking and Dagenham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney all have fewer than 1,000 recorded cases. As the population of England gets older because people are living longer, dementia is expected to soar to one million patients by 2025 and two million by 2051. Alistair Burns, the NHS's director for dementia said: 'Spotting dementia in a timely way means people get the care they need, when they need it, so it’s good news that more people are having their condition identified and their treatment delivered. 'As the population ages, the NHS is having to run to keep up as dementia becomes a challenge for more and more families, which is why the NHS Long Term Plan sets out a blueprint for older people’s care and makes early diagnosis and treatment for major health problems a top priority.' HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA IN EACH AREA AROUND ENGLAND? (NHS Digital data accurate at May 2019) Local NHS body Dementia cases Local NHS Dementia cases DEVON 11,236 HILLINGDON 1,912 DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE 9,446 SOUTHEND 1,890 BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL 8,550 ST HELENS 1,886 DORSET 8,340 OLDHAM 1,858 BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE 7,477 GREATER HUDDERSFIELD 1,847 CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH 6,743 GUILDFORD AND WAVERLEY 1,844 LEEDS 6,126 NORWICH 1,843 COASTAL WEST SUSSEX 5,994 BRENT 1,839 GLOUCESTERSHIRE 5,973 BEXLEY 1,837 OXFORDSHIRE 5,706 SOUTH EAST STAFFORDSHIRE AND SEISDON PENINSULA 1,821 SOMERSET 5,506 CASTLE POINT AND ROCHFORD 1,819 WEST HAMPSHIRE 5,411 WARRINGTON 1,803 SHEFFIELD 5,002 MANSFIELD AND ASHFIELD 1,802 HERTS VALLEYS 4,914 WANDSWORTH 1,783 NENE 4,844 HEREFORDSHIRE 1,779 KERNOW 4,724 BLACKPOOL 1,770 WILTSHIRE 4,629 ISLE OF WIGHT 1,764 EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE 4,566 NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE AND FARNHAM 1,753 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 4,409 WEST NORFOLK 1,748 NEWCASTLE GATESHEAD 4,199 AIREDALE, WHARFEDALE AND CRAVEN 1,731 IPSWICH AND EAST SUFFOLK 3,970 HARROW 1,712 WEST KENT 3,746 BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET 1,695 MORECAMBE BAY 3,624 DARTFORD, GRAVESHAM AND SWANLEY 1,685 SHROPSHIRE 3,559 SOUTHPORT AND FORMBY 1,681 BERKSHIRE WEST 3,528 BURY 1,680 WEST LEICESTERSHIRE 3,337 REDBRIDGE 1,665 NORTHUMBERLAND 3,291 NORTH HAMPSHIRE 1,635 LIVERPOOL 3,268 HIGH WEALD LEWES HAVENS 1,620 EAST LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND 3,222 MILTON KEYNES 1,618 EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE 3,210 CHORLEY AND SOUTH RIBBLE 1,600 NORTH EAST ESSEX 3,202 SOUTH CHESHIRE 1,597 BEDFORDSHIRE 3,166 SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE 1,590 COVENTRY AND RUGBY 3,154 MEDWAY 1,568 NORTH CUMBRIA 3,125 SOUTHAMPTON 1,559 WIRRAL 3,079 CALDERDALE 1,555 BROMLEY 3,026 LAMBETH 1,552 MID ESSEX 3,021 GREATER PRESTON 1,527 MANCHESTER 2,947 HEYWOOD, MIDDLETON AND ROCHDALE 1,519 NORTH WEST SURREY 2,942 LEWISHAM 1,507 EAST LANCASHIRE 2,937 HOUNSLOW 1,488 SURREY DOWNS 2,903 NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE 1,478 DURHAM DALES, EASINGTON AND SEDGEFIELD 2,898 PORTSMOUTH 1,462 BARNET 2,896 EAST SURREY 1,462 SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM 2,881 SOUTH TYNESIDE 1,445 HARTLEPOOL AND STOCKTON-ON-TEES 2,810 CAMDEN 1,440 STOCKPORT 2,805 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE 1,415 EAST BERKSHIRE 2,800 REDDITCH AND BROMSGROVE 1,400 STOKE ON TRENT 2,739 HAMBLETON, RICHMONDSHIRE AND WHITBY 1,399 DUDLEY 2,729 WARWICKSHIRE NORTH 1,398 WAKEFIELD 2,712 SWINDON 1,380 DONCASTER 2,709 RICHMOND 1,363 WEST ESSEX 2,684 WALTHAM FOREST 1,361 LINCOLNSHIRE EAST 2,637 SUTTON 1,327 WIGAN BOROUGH 2,636 RUSHCLIFFE 1,325 ROTHERHAM 2,625 STAFFORD AND SURROUNDS 1,307 VALE OF YORK 2,623 NOTTINGHAM NORTH AND EAST 1,304 BRADFORD DISTRICTS 2,558 WEST LONDON 1,292 LEICESTER CITY 2,551 THANET 1,292 EASTBOURNE, HAILSHAM AND SEAFORD 2,544 NORTH KIRKLEES 1,291 SOUTH WORCESTERSHIRE 2,532 MERTON 1,289 SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE 2,470 HARINGEY 1,287 SOUTH TEES 2,423 BASSETLAW 1,262 SOUTH EASTERN HAMPSHIRE 2,385 SOUTH SEFTON 1,241 CROYDON 2,366 SOUTHWARK 1,228 SUNDERLAND 2,352 NEWARK & SHERWOOD 1,223 HORSHAM AND MID SUSSEX 2,351 TELFORD AND WREKIN 1,216 BOLTON 2,334 CANNOCK CHASE 1,213 GREAT YARMOUTH AND WAVENEY 2,332 ISLINGTON 1,181 SOUTH NORFOLK 2,330 LUTON 1,172 HAVERING 2,309 GREENWICH 1,161 WEST SUFFOLK 2,307 BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN 1,148 EALING 2,298 KINGSTON 1,143 NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE 2,293 KNOWSLEY 1,139 FYLDE & WYRE 2,274 NOTTINGHAM WEST 1,136 NOTTINGHAM CITY 2,233 SCARBOROUGH AND RYEDALE 1,126 WOLVERHAMPTON 2,220 WEST LANCASHIRE 1,091 HASTINGS AND ROTHER 2,220 SOUTH WEST LINCOLNSHIRE 1,090 NORTH NORFOLK 2,209 EAST STAFFORDSHIRE 1,079 HULL 2,182 NEWHAM 1,059 EASTERN CHESHIRE 2,163 DARLINGTON 1,054 WALSALL 2,147 CENTRAL LONDON (WESTMINSTER) 1,046 WEST CHESHIRE 2,145 THURROCK 1,046 BASILDON AND BRENTWOOD 2,137 WYRE FOREST 1,035 ENFIELD 2,130 CITY AND HACKNEY 948 TAMESIDE AND GLOSSOP 2,097 HALTON 943 NORTH DURHAM 2,089 TOWER HAMLETS 932 BARNSLEY 2,086 ASHFORD 903 CANTERBURY AND COASTAL 2,061 SURREY HEATH 856 LINCOLNSHIRE WEST 2,045 HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM 850 TRAFFORD 1,959 SWALE 829 SALFORD 1,946 VALE ROYAL 822 BRIGHTON AND HOVE 1,944 CRAWLEY 807 NORTH TYNESIDE 1,941 BARKING AND DAGENHAM 759 FAREHAM AND GOSPORT 1,923 CORBY 589 HARROGATE AND RURAL DISTRICT 1,922 BRADFORD CITY 493 SOUTH KENT COAST 1,918 Source: NHS Digital All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility