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2010 Alzheimer's Facts

03/21/2010 16:56:00 admin
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The Alzheimer's Association released a report entitled 2010 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Facts and Figures, giving readers some information on incidence, mortality, cost of care and the disease’s effect on caregivers in particular, and on society in general.
 
Below is a brief summary of the report.
 
Incidence
 
An estimated 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and about 200,000 persons under age 65 suffer from younger-onset Alzheimer's.
 
Currently, one American acquires Alzheimer's every 70 seconds; by 2050, one will develop Alzheimer's in every 33 seconds. That is, by 2050, 11-16 million people are expected to suffer from AD and about one million of new cases are expected each year.
 
Death Risk
 
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the 7th leading cause of all deaths and the 5th leading cause of death in Americans aged 65 and older in the United States.
 
The number of Alzheimer's related deaths increased by 46.1 percent between 2000 and 2006, while deaths from other major diseases like heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer decreased by 11.1, 18.2, and 8.7 percent respectively.
 
Race Effect
 
Older African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia than their white counterparts.  Blacks are 2 times more likely and Hispanics about 1.5 times more likely than whites to have the condition.
 
Healthcare Cost
 
In 2009, about 11 million family members and other unpaid caregivers gave 12.5 billion hours of care to persons with Alzheimer's and other dementia related illnesses, costing nearly 144 billion.
 
The paid services for Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer's and other dementia-type diseases cost three times more than care for those without the condition. In 2010, the cost for paid health care for people aged 65 and older with the condition are estimated at $172 billion.
 
The report was published in the March 2010 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia, the official journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

By Jimmy Downs and editing by Rachel Stockton

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