Hospitalizations due to Alzheimer’s disease in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic: an update on frequency, mortality, and costs

Internações por doença de Alzheimer no Brasil durante a pandemia de COVID-19: uma atualização sobre frequência, mortalidade e custos

Hospitalizations related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impose a growing burden on health systems, but recent, nationally representative estimates for Brazil are limited.

Objective:  To describe the epidemiological profile of hospital admissions due to AD in Brazil from 2018 to 2024.

Methods:  Ecological time-series study using the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIH/SUS), accessed via the Department of Informatics of the SUS (DATASUS). We included all regions and states from January 2018 to December 2024. Admissions were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, 10^th Revision (ICD-10) codes G30.0–G30.9 and F00.0–F00.9. Variables comprised sex, age group, race/color, admission type (urgent/elective), in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and hospital costs. Temporal trends were evaluated with linear regression.

Results:  From 2018 to 2024, 11,212 AD-related hospitalizations were recorded; 79.4% were urgent. The Southeast had the highest absolute number (47.8%), followed by the South (25.1%), Northeast (17.2%), Midwest (6.5%), and North (3.4%). Females accounted for 65% of admissions and 64.7% of in-hospital deaths. Older adults, especially those ≥80 years, represented most hospitalizations (59.3%) and deaths (69.7%). Total hospital expenditures exceeded R$ 14 million, with the Southeast concentrating >60% of national costs. No significant linear trend was detected in annual rates.

Conclusion:  Urgent admissions comprised the majority of AD hospitalizations nationwide, with the Southeast presenting the highest numbers. The predominance of older female patients and high in-hospital mortality underscore the need for targeted clinical and public health strategies. Rising expenditures reinforce investment in health infrastructure and long-term dementia-care policies in Brazil.

Keywords:
Alzheimer Disease; Hospitalization; Length of Stay; Health Care Costs; Brazil