2012 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures Alzheimer's Association^∗

Abstract

This report provides information to increase understanding of the public health impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Topics addressed include incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, health expenditures and costs of care, and effect on caregivers and society. The report also explores issues that arise when people with AD and other dementias live alone. The characteristics, risks, and unmet needs of this population are described. An estimated 5.4 million Americans have AD, including approximately 200,000 age <65 years who comprise the younger-onset AD population. Over the coming decades, the aging of the baby boom generation is projected to result in an additional 10 million people with AD. Today, someone in America develops AD every 68 seconds. By 2050, there is expected to be one new case of AD every 33 seconds, or nearly a million new cases per year, and AD prevalence is projected to be 11 million to 16 million. Dramatic increases in the number of "oldest-old" (those age ≥85 years) across all racial and ethnic groups are expected to contribute to the increased prevalence of AD. AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death in Americans age ≥65 years. Although the proportions of deaths due to other major causes of death have decreased in the last several years, the proportion due to AD has risen significantly. Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of deaths due to heart disease, stroke, and prostate cancer decreased by 13%, 20%, and 8%, respectively, whereas the proportion due to AD increased by 66%. In 2011, more than 15 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 17.4 billion hours of care to people with AD and other dementias, a contribution valued at more than $210 billion. Medicare payments for services to beneficiaries age ≥65 years with AD and other dementias are three times as great as payments for beneficiaries without these conditions, and Medicaid payments are 19 times as great. In 2012, payments for health care, long-term care, and hospice services for people age ≥65 years with AD and other dementias are expected to be $200 billion (not including the contributions of unpaid caregivers). An estimated 800,000 people with AD (one in seven) live alone, and up to half of them do not have an identifiable caregiver. People with dementia who live alone are exposed to risks that exceed the risks encountered by people with dementia who live with others, including inadequate self-care, malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, falls, wandering from home unattended, and accidental deaths.

Dementia in rural South Africa: A pressing need for epidemiological studies

“…This relatively modest increase is consistent with limited demographic ageing owing to high child and adult mortality and the HIV epidemic. [2] Estimated age-standardised dementia prevalences for individuals aged >60 years have been reported for 21 Global Burden of Disease regions, [1] with a four-fold variation in prevalence from 2.1% to 8.5%. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group conducted a multicentre study in ten LMICs that included Nigeria but not SA.…”

The Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scores in Older Adults

“…Although current evidence suggests a stabilization of incidence [2], the prevalence of cognitive disorders in the US is quite significant. For example, 1 in 8 persons aged 65 years or older has Alzheimer’s disease [3]. An important goal for healthy aging is maintenance of cognitive function.…”

Relatives’ experiences of everyday life when receiving day care services for persons with dementia living at home

“…This decline typically includes loss of memory and judgment as well as changes in mood and behavior, communication and functional ability in everyday life. There is no cure for dementia, which remains the leading cause of dependency and disability amongst older people [1].…”