The epidemiology of neurocognitive disorders in Hungary

There is a lack of data on the epidemiological characteristics of NCD (neurocognitive disorder) in Hungary. We aimed to assess the prevalence and incidence of NCD in Hungary, by sex and age groups, and to determine the proportion of diagnostic procedures performed on patients, the prevalence of comorbidities within this population, and the medication used to treat these patients. Descriptive statistical analysis based on data from the National Health Insurance Fund and the Central Statistical Office. Data are for the years 2016 to 2021. The prevalence of NCD in people over 65 in 2016 was 6.64%, decreasing to 5.58% in 2021. The annual incidence in 2016 was 65,505, which decreased to 42,668 in 2021. 40% of incident patients received a CT scan of the skull. Around 80% of patients were diagnosed with hypertension. 75% had cerebrovascular disease in 2016, which decreased to 59.3% in 2021. A third of patients were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In 2016, 8.99% of patients filled their prescriptions for NCD, this figure did not change significantly by 2021. The prevalence of NCD in Hungary decreased significantly after 2019, presumably due to the decreased use of healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.