Latest Alzheimer's Statistics -- U.S. (2009) PDF Print E-mail

About 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the national Alzheimer's Association (2009).  This includes 5.1 million people age 65 and older and 200,000 individuals  under age 65 with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

One out of eight people age 65 and older (13 percent) has Alzheimer’s disease.  Women, who on average live longer than men, are more likely than men to have Alzheimer's disease.

Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. A small percentage of Alzheimer cases is caused by rare, genetic variations found in a few hundred families worldwide.

Alzheimer's is the most frequent cause of dementia, accounting for 70 percent of all cases of dementia in Americans aged 71 and older. 

According to the latest (2009) projections released by the national Alzheimer's Association:
  • By 2030, all baby boomers will be at least 65 years old.  That year, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's is expected to reach 7.7 million, more than a 50 percent increase from the 5.1 million age 65 order older currently (2009) affected.
  • By 2050, that number is expected to reach between 11 and 16 million unless medical breakthroughs identify ways to prevent or more effectively treat the disease.
Alzheimer's Impact on Caregivers

Almost 10 million Americans provide uncompensated care for a person with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.  In Texas, an estimated 760,500 caregivers annually provide 656.5 million hours of uncompensated care valued at $7.2 billion.

Many caregivers experience high levels of stress and negative effects on their health, employment, income and financial security.


Mortality

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death (across all ages) in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death for those age 65 and older (2006).

Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease increased nationwide by 47.1 percent (2000-2006).  In contrast, other leading causes of death declined in this period: heart disease deaths, down 11.5 percent; breast cancer deaths, down 0.6 percent; deaths from prostate cancer, down 14.3 percent; and deaths from stroke, down 18.1 percent. 

Deaths caused by Alzheimer’s may be under-reported because persons with the disease usually have one or more serious co-existing conditions, such as heart disease or stroke, which end up being cited on death certificates.


Cost of Alzheimer’s Disease

Direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias amount to more than $148 billion annually.

In 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion on beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and that number is projected to more than double to $189 billion by 2015.

Almost 10 million Americans are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or another dementia; approximately one out of three of these caregivers is age 60 or older.

More than half of the 50 states provide more than a billion dollars in unpaid care to AD patients each year. States ranking highest in uncompensated AD care provided by caretakers are: California ($10.6 billion), Texas ($7.2 billion), and Florida ($5.4 billion).

                                                                                        Source: National Alzheimer's Association (March 2009)
 




Alzheimer's Facts

About 5.3 million Americans are now living with Alzheimer's disease.  AD is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. across all age groups and the 5th leading cause of death for persons 65 and older.