Alzheimer’s facts for 2015

  • Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • It’s the only cause of death in the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.
  • Almost 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
  • One in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another types of dementia.
  • Every 67 seconds someone in the U.S. develops the disease.
  • An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s.
  • Only 45 percent of people with Alzheimer’s or their caregivers report being told of their diagnosis, compared with 90 percent of people with the four most common types of cancer.
  • In 2015, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $226 billion. By 2050, these costs could rise as high as $1.1 trillion.
  • Although there are more non-Hispanic whites living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias than people of any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S., older African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
  • Nearly 60 percent of caregivers rate the stress of caregiving as very high, and about 40 percent suffer from depression. The physical and emotional toll of caregiving adds about $10 billion in health care costs of their own.
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About Susan Foster
Freelance writer passionate about wellness and spirituality, clinical psychologist, avid hiker and reader. Follow me @susanjfosterphd

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