A long-term study on women's health will be expanded amid warnings that dementia rates could double in the next 20 years.

The prediction was contained in a new female health policy, released by the Gillard government, which aims to prevent chronic disease and target indigenous females, who have the poorest health.
The policy warns that the ageing of the female population in the next 20 years could have profound impacts on the health and Medicare systems.
“Projections indicate that women will make up an increasing proportion of the old and very old segment of the Australian population over time,” the policy document says.
“The ageing of the female population will have a significant impact on the Australian health system. For example, the burden of disease associated with dementia in women is estimated to double in the next 20 years.”
The policy found anxiety and depression was the biggest burden on women's health, with 10 per cent of the total burden.
Heart disease was next with 8.9 per cent, followed by stroke, 5.1 per cent; type 2 diabetes, 4.9 per cent; dementia, 4.8 per cent; and breast cancer, 4.8 per cent.
By comparison, heart disease and type 2 diabetes were the biggest disease burdens for men, with anxiety and depression coming in third.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday announced $5.3 million to continue the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, which has been examining long-term female health outcomes.
The announcement, made with Status of Women Minister Kate Ellis, said women's health had improved in the 20 years since the first women's health policy was released, but chronic disease had grown dramatically.
“Nearly half of all women are overweight and 27 per cent of women aged over 25 have high blood pressure,” Ms Ellis said.
“Sadly, large gaps in health outcomes for women from low socio-economic groups, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, still remain.”
(Source: perthnow.com)