A new research states that more elderly people are being affected by neurological and brain diseases and what is worrying is that the diseases are striking at a younger age.

Brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer have previously been thought to affect older people more than younger ones. But a new study by Professor Colin Pritchard of Bournemouth University suggests otherwise. According to him, brain diseases have risen alarmingly over the last few years and are now affecting more people below the age of 55. The professor says that the increase in numbers is not because we are living longer, says a report in Medical Xpress.

According to the report, USA witnessed the highest rise in neurological deaths among other western countries. The U.S. witnessed a 66 percent rise in men and 92 percent in women from 1979 to 2010. The U.K. reported a rise of 32 percent in men and 48 percent in women in the same time period.

Professor Pritchard says: "These statistics are about real people and families, and we need to recognise that there is an 'epidemic' that clearly is influenced by environmental and societal changes."

Tessa Gutteridge, Director Young Dementia U.K. says that the current generation needs to be aware that brain diseases like dementia are now affecting people at a young age too. The total number of neurological deaths in both men and women rose significantly in 16 countries covered by the research, which is in sharp contrast to the major reductions in deaths from all other causes.

Professor Pritchard said, "These rises in neurological deaths, with the earlier onset of the dementia, are devastating for families and pose a considerable public health problem. It is NOT that we have more old people but rather more old people have more brain disease than ever before, including Alzheimer's. For example there are two new British charities, The Young Parkinson's Society and Young Dementia UK, which are a grass-roots response to these rises. The need for such charities would have been inconceivable a little more than 30 years ago."

The study is published online in the journal Public Health.