Alzheimer's Disease

As many as 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease–the sixth-leading cause of death. This disease threatens to bankrupt our economy as our nation ages. In 2012, the cost of providing care for Alzheimer’s disease patients was 0 billion. If current trends continue, this cost is projected to grow to .1 trillion per year by 2050, resulting in an overwhelming economic burden.

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    • Lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s
       
    • New case of Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds by 2050
      By 2050, an American will develop Alzheimer’s dementia every 33 seconds.  
    • New case of Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds
      Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s dementia.  
    • New cases of Alzheimer’s will double by 2050
      The annual number of new cases of Alzheimer’s dementia is expected to double between 2017 and 2050.  
    • New cases of Alzheimer’s disease in 2017
      In 2017, there will be approximately 64,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s in Americans ages 65 – 74, 173,000 new cases in those 75-84, and 243,000 new cases in those 85+.  
    • Alzheimer’s dementia by age
       
    • Alzheimer’s increases with age
      The percentage of people living with Alzheimer’s increases with age–from 3% in ages 65-74 to 17% in ages 75-84 to 32% in ages 85+.  
    • ~200,000 Americans have younger-onset Alzheimer’s
      An estimate 200,000 Americans under age 65 have Alzheimer’s disease–younger-onset Alzheimer’s.  
    • 5.5. million Americans have Alzheimer’s dementia
      In 2017, an estimated 5.5 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia.  
    • 1 in 10 people age 65 + have Alzheimer’s dementia
      Ten percent (1 in 10) people in the U.S. ages 65 and up have Alzheimer’s dementia.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease–only disease in top 10 causes of death that can’t be prevented, slowed, or cured
      Alzheimer’s disease is the only disease in the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured.  
    • For families of loved ones with dementia, their out-of-pocket spending in the last 5 years before death was $61,522 compared to $34,068 without dementia.  Informal costs were $83,022 for people…  
    • Medicaid expenditures for people who died of dementia were $35,346 in the 5 years before death, compared to $4,552 for those without dementia.  
    • Spending on dementia
      Health care spending for dementia patients in their last 5 years of life is more than $250,000 per person.  This is 57% greater than costs associated with death from other…  
    • Average informal care costs over a five year period were estimated to be $83,022 for people with dementia vs. $38,272 fo
      Average informal care costs over a five year period were estimated to be $83,022 for people with dementia vs. $38,272 for those without dementia.  
    • Average out-of-pocket spending over a five year period for those with dementia was $61,522 compared to $34,068 for those
      Average out-of-pocket spending over a five year period for those with dementia was $61,522 compared to $34,068 for those without dementia.  
    • Between 2005 and 2010, total health care spending for people with dementia was more than $287,000 per person, nearly 60
      Between 2005 and 2010, total health care spending for people with dementia was more than $287,000 per person, nearly 60% percent greater than costs associated with death from other diseases, such as cancer…  
    • It costs an average of $4,766 more on healthcare per year for family caregivers who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s compared to non-caregivers.  
    • Medicaid recipients with Alzheimer’s disease have spending that is 9 times higher than for those without the disease.  
    • Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease have payments that are 3 times higher than beneficiaries without the disease.  
    • 1 in 2 people over the age of 85 has Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • In 2050, it is estimated that a person develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds.  
    • Every 68 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • By 2050, the number of adults with age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease will nearly triple–reaching 13.8 million.  
    • In 2012, Alzheimer’s disease costs up to $216 billion in care value.  
    • There are 15.4 million caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease in 2012.  
    • In 2013 there were 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease cost $203 billion in 2013.  
    • Physician visits were nearly triple for Alzheimer’s disease caregivers when compared to non-caregivers (95.5 per month/100 contrasted to 34.3 per month/100).  
    • Emergency room use was twice as high for Alzheimer’s disease caregivers as for similar aged non-caregiving women (2.6 visits per month/100 women contrasted with 5.5 visits per month/100 caregivers).  
    • In 2009, 6% of all people admitted to hospices in the United States had a primary hospice diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • An estimated 60 to 70 percent of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias live in the community compared with 98 percent of older adults without Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  
    • In 2009, 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s and other dementias also had coronary heart disease, 29 percent also had diabetes, 22 percent also had congestive heart failure,…  
    • Between 2000 and 2008, deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease increased 66 percent, while those attributed to the number one cause of death, heart disease, decreased 13 percent.  
    • Based on 2008 final data from the National Center for Health Statistics, Alzheimer’s was reported as the underlying cause of death for 82,435 people.  
    • In 2011, Alzheimer’s caregivers provided an estimated 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care, a contribution to the nation valued at over $210 billion.  
    • Nearly half of people age 85 and older (45%) have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • One in eight people age 65 and older (13%) has Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • In 2012, the 85-years-and-older population includes about 2.5 million people with Alzheimer’s disease, or 48 percent of the Alzheimer’s population age 65 and older.  
    • By the middle of the century, someone in America will develop Alzheimer’s disease every 33 seconds.  
    • Every 68 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease.   
    • The estimated annual incidence of Alzheimer’s disease appears to increase dramatically with age, from approximately 53 new cases per 1,000 people age 65 to 74, to 170 new cases per…  
    • 16% of women age 71 and older have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias compared with 11% of men.  
    • Of the 5.2 million people over age 65 with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 3.4 million are women and 1.8 million are men.  
    • Of those with Alzheimer’s disease, an estimated 4 percent are under age 65, 6 percent are 65 to 74, 44 percent are 75 to 84, and 46 percent are 85…  
    • An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2012, including 5.2 million people age 65 and older.  
    • Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia; it accounts for an estimated 60 to 80 percent of cases.  
    • The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is advancing age, but Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.  
    • People with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have greater than 3 times as many hospital stays as other older people.  
    • Studies indicate that people aged ≥65 years survive an average of 4 to 8 years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • 61% of people with Alzheimer’s disease at age 70 years are expected to die before age 80 years compared with 30% of people at age 70 years without Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Between 2000 and 2008, deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease increased 66%, whereas those attributed to heart disease— the number one cause of death— decreased 13%.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth leading cause of death for those aged ≥65 years.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States  
    • By mid-century, someone in America will develop Alzheimer’s disease every 33 seconds.  
    • Every 68 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Of the 5.2 million people aged >65 years with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States, 3.4 million are women and 1.8 million are men.  
    • Nearly half of people aged ≥85 years (45%) have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • One in eight people aged ≥65 years (13%) has Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages will have Alzheimer’s disease in 2012.  
    • The estimated annual incidence of Alzheimer’s disease appears to increase dramatically with age, from approximately 53 new cases per 1,000 people aged 65 to 74 years, to 170 new cases…  
    • In 2010, the 85 and older population included around 2.4 million people with Alzheimer’s disease–or 47% of the Alzheimer’s population age 65 and older.  
    • Framingham Estimated Liftime Risks for Alzheimer’s by Age and Sex  
    • The estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is: Nearly 1 in 5 for women (17.2%) One in 10 for men (9.1%)  
    • Every 69 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease increases dramatically with age: From approximately 53 new cases per 1,000 people ages 65 to 74 To 170 new cases per 1,000 people ages 75 to 84 To…  
    • Of the 5.2 million Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer’s disease, 3.4 million are women and 1.8 million are men.  
    • An estimated 13.9% of Americans age 71 and older have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Of those with Alzheimer’s disease, 4% are under age 65 6% are between the ages of 65 and 74 45% are between the ages of 75 and 84 45% are age 85 and older  
    • Close to half of all people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease (43%).  
    • In 2011, around 5.4 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.  This includes 5.2 million people age 65 and older 200,000 under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.  
    • In 2011, an estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • 1 in 8 older Americans has Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Alzheimer’s Disease was the #5 cause of death for those over 65 in 2006 with 177 per 100,000 people.  
    • In 2009, around 11 million Americans provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  
    • About 2.4 million Americans age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s disease (47% of the Alzheimer’s population 65 and older). When the first wave of Baby Boomers reaches age 85 (year…  
    • Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have more than 3 times as many hospital stays as other older people.  
    • In 2008, 9.9 million Americans provides unpaid care for a family member, friend, or neighbor with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias–more than 1/4 of all unpaid caregivers of older adults…  
    • One in 8 people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease–13% of the 65 and older population.  
    • Every 70 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Approximately 5.1 million Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Approximately 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • In the year before a person’s death, half of family caregivers of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia reported spending at least 46 hours per week providing care–59% of…  
    • In 2005, the average length of hospice stays for Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease was 99 days.  
    • In 2007, around 10% of all hospice admissions were for people with a primary diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.  
    • Various studies estimate that 40-67% of assisted living facility residents have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.  
    • At any given time, around 1/4 of all hospital patients age 65 and older are individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  
    • Severe Alzheimer’s disease can cause problems with mobility, eating and breathing. These complications can significantly increase risk for pneumonia–the most commonly identified cause of death in end-stage Alzheimer’s patients.  
    • As many as 411,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease are diagnosed every year.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the U.S.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease is the 5th leading cause of death in Americans age 65 and older.  
    • Around 14 million baby boomers can expect to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • Around 10 million of the 78 million U.S. baby boomers who are alive today can expect to develop Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • 1 in 6 women and 1 in 10 men who live to be at least 55 years old will develop Alzheimer’s disease in their lifetime.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease was the 7th-leading cause of death for people of all ages and the 5th-leading cause of death for people age 65 and over.  
    • In 2005, Alzheimer’s disease was listed as the underlying cause of death for 71,696 Americans.  
    • The death rate from Alzheimer’s disease for those aged 85 and over increased by 22.6% between 2000 and 2004.  
    • In June 2007, 46.4% of all nursing home residents had Alzheimer’s or another dementia.  
    • A study of disease severity in 2003 showed that about 60% of assisted living residents with dementia were in the moderate or severe stages of the disease.  
    • 30% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over who have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias also have coronary heart disease and 28% have congestive heart failure.  
    • At any time, about 25% of older hospital patients are people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  
    • “In 2000, Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s and other dementias had an average of 1.3 times more physician visits than did other Medicare beneficiaries in the same…  
    • “In 2000, Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s and other dementias were 3.4 times more likely than other Medicare beneficiaries in the same age group to have a…  
    • In 2007, the value of care provided by unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias was $89 billion.  
    • In 2007, the 9.8 million family and other unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias provided 8.4 billion hours of care.  
    • 29% of all unpaid caregivers of older people in the U.S. are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.  
    • 9.8 million family members, friends and neighbors provided unpaid care for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia in 2007.  
    • There were an estimated 411,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease in 2000. That number is expected to increase to 454,000 new cases a year by 2010, 615,000 new cases a year…  
    • About 5.2 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease in 2008.  
    • Advancing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. A majority of Americans that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are 65 or older.  
    • Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60% to 80% of all dementia diagnoses.  
    • Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease account for 34% of Medicare spending but make up only 12.8% of the 65 and older population.  
    • The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that there are between 220,000 and 640,000 Americans age 55 to 64 with early onset Alzheimer’s and other dementias.  
    • Close to 1/3 of caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias now exercise less than before they started caregiving, compared to 1/4 of other caregivers.  
    • Almost 1/4 of caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias reported that caring for this individual was stressful, compared to 15% of other caregivers.  
    • In 2003, close to 1 in 4 caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias provided 40 hours a week or more of care. 71% provided this care for…  
    • The average progression from mild to severe Alzheimer’s disease is 6 years. At this time, a patient will be in need of care equivalent to placement in a health-related facility,…  
    • The typical Alzheimer’s care recipient is 78 years old, female, and widowed. A full third of Alzheimer’s recipients (35%) are 85 years and older.  
    • Most Alzheimer’s caregivers are helping relatives–87%. The most common caregiver relationship is parent-child–57% are helping their mother, 36% are helping their mother-in-law, 11% are helping their father, and 29%…  
    • The majority of Alzheimer’s caregivers are women–59%.  
    • While many family caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients get help from other family members, only around 1/2 use any paid help or supportive services. Only 9% use respite services and…  
    • In 2004, Alzheimer’s moved from the eigth leading cause of death to the seventh–overtaking influenza and pneumonia.  
    • 1/4 of caregivers helping someone age 50 or older, report that the person they are caring for is suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other mental confusion.  
    • Almost 1/2 of all people with Alzheimer’s disease have 4 or more chronic conditions.  
    • Percent of Medicare Beneficiaries Age 65+ with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Who Had Specified Coexisting Medical Conditions (1999)  
    • “8% of working caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia turned down a promotion (4% of other caregivers), and 7% lost job benefits (3% for other caregivers).”  
    • Of caregivers who work, 2/3 who cared for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias reported that they missed work, compared to 57% of other caregivers.  
    • Over 40% of caregivers who care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias report high levels of stress.  
    • In 2003, 65% of Alzheimer caregivers performed personal care that was physically demanding. These tasks can be made difficult by the person with dementia, who may be unable to help…  
    • Almost 10 million (29%) of all caregivers of people age 60 and older are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.  
    • In 2005, 50% of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease who were hospitalized for pneumonia or hip fracture died within 6 months. Patients without cognitive impairment were less likely to die after…  
    • At least 50% of the elderly participants in adult day services have Alzheimer’s or another dementia.  
    • At least 50% of elderly residents of assisted living facilities have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.  
    • About 47% of nursing home residents have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another dementia in their medical record.””  
    • 70% of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are cared for by family and friends at home.  
    • 95% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s and other dementias have at least one other chronic condition.””  
    • Medicare beneficiaries who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias visited a physician 1.3 times more frequently than other beneficiaries.  
    • Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have 3.4 times more hospital stays than the average for someone who does not have dementia.  
    • Pneumonia and other infections were the most likely cause of hospitalization for nursing home residents who suffer from dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease.  
    • The typical first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss for recent events.  
    • The typical Alzheimer’s caregiver is a woman, 48 years old, married, employed, without children at home, and with at least some college education.  
    • Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease can take an enormous toll on the caregiver. 55% of caregivers have less time for other family members. 49% give up…  
    • Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s caregivers who also work, report that they missed work due to their caregiving responsibilities. 14% gave up work completely or chose early retirement. 13% cut…  
    • Based on preliminary data, Alzheimer’s disease was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2004, causing 65,829 deaths.  
    • In 2002, Alzheimer’s disease caused 58,289 deaths in people age 65 and older – 99% of all Alzeimer’s deaths that year.  
    • In 2002, Alzheimer’s disease caused 58,866 deaths.  
    • Willena is 75 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease five years ago Her daughter and primary caregiver, Wanda
      “Willena is 75 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease five years ago. Her daughter and primary caregiver, Wanda Richardson, believes that her mother went undiagnosed for at least 15 years…  
    • State and federal Medicaid spending on nursing home care for beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease was $19 billion in 2000.