Who Has Alzheimers Disease
- In 2020, as many as 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimers disease.1
- Younger people may get Alzheimers disease, but it is less common.
- The number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
- This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.1
- Symptoms of the disease can first appear after age 60, and the risk increases with age.
Alzheimers Is The Only Top
- 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimers or another dementia, killing more than breast and prostate cancer combined.
- Alzheimers disease is listed as the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. States, but it may cause more deaths than is recognized by official sources.
- The COVID-19 pandemic caused Alzheimers deaths to increase by approximately 16% more than expected.
- Deaths due to Alzheimers between 2000 and 2019 have more than doubled, increasing 145%. During the same time period, deaths from heart disease increased 7.3%.
Alzheimers Is The Most
- Retirees are more fearful of Alzheimers than infectious diseases such as COVID-19, as well as cancer, strokes or heart attacks.
- Findings showed one-in-three of retirees listed Alzheimers as the chronic disease they feared most, 11 points higher than cancer and 13 points more than contagious diseases such as COVID-19.
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What Causes Alzheimers Disease
In recent years, scientists have made tremendous progress in better understanding Alzheimers and the momentum continues to grow. Still, scientists dont yet fully understand what causes Alzheimers disease in most people. In people with early-onset Alzheimers, a genetic mutation may be the cause. Late-onset Alzheimers arises from a complex series of brain changes that may occur over decades. The causes probably include a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The importance of any one of these factors in increasing or decreasing the risk of developing Alzheimers may differ from person to person.
How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect The Brain
Scientists continue to unravel the complex brain changes involved in Alzheimers disease. Changes in the brain may begin a decade or more before symptoms appear. During this very early stage of Alzheimers, toxic changes are taking place in the brain, including abnormal buildups of proteins that form amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Previously healthy neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and die. Many other complex brain changes are thought to play a role in Alzheimers as well.
The damage initially appears to take place in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, which are parts of the brain that are essential in forming memories. As more neurons die, additional parts of the brain are affected and begin to shrink. By the final stage of Alzheimers, damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.
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Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease
We want to share with you some of Alzheimers disease facts and figures to truly understand how much impact this disease has.
There are only a few more diseases that cause more deaths than Alzheimers disease.
Thus its important to be familiar with its global effect, so you act AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and get appropriate treatment.
The Problem With Numbers
The problem with numbers and statistics is that we tend to disregard them. Until we connect the facts with real people, perhaps to someone within our own family, the numbers dont quite drive home the point.
That point is that Alzheimers disease can reach out and touch anyone at any time. Each number represents an individual a parent, a spouse, a friend and one day it could represent you. You could be the one in nine people who get the disease, or the one in eight whatever the number may be in 2022 and the years to come.
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Women Are More Likely Than Men To Be Affected By Alzheimers Disease
Several leading experts are opening the conversation about why women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.
Researchers cite that women in their sixties are two times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimers disease than breast cancer.
Some of the speculations point to genetics, longevity, and life experience. The questions are out there, and researchers are diving deep to answer them.
We need to stay tuned and see what is revealed in the future regarding possible links between female related risk factors for this disease and others.
Impact On Families And Carers
In 2019, informal carers spent on average 5 hours per day providing care for people living with dementia. This can be overwhelming . Physical, emotional and financial pressures can cause great stress tofamilies and carers, and support is required from the health, social, financial and legal systems. Fifty percent of the global cost of dementia is attributed to informal care.
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Alzheimers Is A Global Crisis That Requires A Global Solution
It is a grave threat to the worlds health and finances if not stopped. About 50 million people worldwide have some form of dementia, and someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds.
When the world has faced catastrophic challenges before, nations have marshaled significant resources behind clear goals and objectives to achieve great things. For example, the world committed to ambitious, aggressive, and well-funded efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Those efforts have paid significant dividends in lives saved and economic development fostered.
High Costs And Effects Of Caregiving
- The estimated number of caregivers for people with Alzheimers and other dementias in 2020 is 11.2 million.
- Caregivers provided 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care in 2020, valued at almost $257 billion, to people living with Alzheimers and other dementias.
- Two-thirds of dementia caregivers are women.
- The prevalence of depression is higher among dementia caregivers than other caregivers, such as those who provide help to individuals with schizophrenia or stroke .
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How Is Alzheimers Disease Diagnosed
Doctors use several methods and tools to help determine whether a person who is having memory problems has Alzheimers disease.
To diagnose Alzheimers, doctors may:
- Ask the person and a family member or friend questions about overall health, use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diet, past medical problems, ability to carry out daily activities, and changes in behavior and personality.
- Conduct tests of memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language.
- Carry out standard medical tests, such as blood and urine tests, to identify other possible causes of the problem.
- Perform brain scans, such as computed tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , or positron emission tomography , to support an Alzheimers diagnosis or to rule out other possible causes for symptoms.
These tests may be repeated to give doctors information about how the persons memory and other cognitive functions are changing over time.
People with memory and thinking concerns should talk to their doctor to find out whether their symptoms are due to Alzheimers or another cause, such as stroke, tumor, Parkinsons disease, sleep disturbances, side effects of medication, an infection, or another type of dementia. Some of these conditions may be treatable and possibly reversible.
In addition, an early diagnosis provides people with more opportunities to participate in clinical trials or other research studies testing possible new treatments for Alzheimers.
A Costly And Growing National Crisis
- In 2021, the total national cost of caring for people living with Alzheimers and other dementias is projected to reach $355 billion. This number does not include the estimated $257 billion price of unpaid caregiving.
- Medicare and Medicaid are expected to cover $239 billion, or 67%, of the total health care and long-term care payments for people with Alzheimers or other dementias. Out-of-pocket spending is expected to be $76 billion, or 22% of total payments.
Source: Alzheimers Associations 2021 Facts & Figures Report
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Life Expectancy Varies By Individual Case
The prognosis for patients with Alzheimers disease is assessed in the scope of three distinct stages early stage, middle stage and late stage.
What we know about this disease, is that the presentations and hallmark symptoms are consistently represented in one of these stages.
The disease, unfortunately, is very progressive. While living with Alzheimers is possible for an undetermined number of years, the degenerative process isnt reversible.
The goals for caregivers and families are centered around supportive care and safety protocols.
Early Stage Common Symptomology:
- Vulnerable to illness and infection
- Compromised physical abilities
Medications To Maintain Mental Function In Alzheimer’s Disease
Several medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms of Alzheimers. Donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine are used to treat the symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimers. Donepezil, memantine, the rivastigmine patch, and a combination medication of memantine and donepezil are used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimers symptoms. All of these drugs work by regulating neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit messages between neurons. They may help reduce symptoms and help with certain behavioral problems. However, these drugs dont change the underlying disease process. They are effective for some but not all people and may help only for a limited time.
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Medications To Treat The Underlying Alzheimer’s Disease Process
Aducanumab is the first disease-modifying therapy approved by the FDA to treat Alzheimers disease. The medication helps to reduce amyloid deposits in the brain and may help slow the progression of Alzheimers, although it has not yet been shown to affect clinical outcomes such as progression of cognitive decline or dementia. A doctor or specialist will likely perform tests, such as a PET scan or analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, to look for evidence of amyloid plaques and help decide if the treatment is right for the patient.
Aducanumab was approved through the FDAs Accelerated Approval Program. This process requires an additional study after approval to confirm the anticipated clinical benefit. If the follow-up trial fails to verify clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw approval of the drug. Results of the phase 4 clinical trial for aducanumab are expected to be available by early 2030.
Several other disease-modifying medications are being tested in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimers as potential treatments.
Icipating In Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials
Everybody those with Alzheimers disease or MCI as well as healthy volunteers with or without a family history of Alzheimers may be able to take part in clinical trials and studies. Participants in Alzheimers clinical research help scientists learn how the brain changes in healthy aging and in Alzheimers. Currently, at least 270,000 volunteers are needed to participate in more than 250 active clinical trials and studies that are testing ways to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent Alzheimers disease.
Volunteering for a clinical trial is one way to help in the fight against Alzheimers. Studies need participants of different ages, sexes, races, and ethnicities to ensure that results are meaningful for many people. To learn more about clinical trials, watch this video from NIH’s National Library of Medicine.
NIA leads the federal governments research efforts on Alzheimers. NIA-supported Alzheimers Disease Research Centers throughout the U.S. conduct a wide range of research, including studies of the causes, diagnosis, and management of the disease. NIA also sponsors the Alzheimers Clinical Trials Consortium, which is designed to accelerate and expand studies and therapies in Alzheimers and related dementias.
To learn more about Alzheimers clinical trials and studies:
- Talk to your health care provider about local studies that may be right for you.
Watch videos of participants in Alzheimers disease clinical trials talking about their experiences.
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The Basics Of Alzheimers Disease
Scientists are conducting studies to learn more about plaques, tangles, and other biological features of Alzheimers disease. Advances in brain imaging techniques allow researchers to see the development and spread of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins in the living brain, as well as changes in brain structure and function. Scientists are also exploring the very earliest steps in the disease process by studying changes in the brain and body fluids that can be detected years before Alzheimers symptoms appear. Findings from these studies will help in understanding the causes of Alzheimers and make diagnosis easier.
One of the great mysteries of Alzheimers disease is why it largely affects older adults. Research on normal brain aging is exploring this question. For example, scientists are learning how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and affect other types of brain cells to contribute to Alzheimers damage. These age-related changes include atrophy of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, blood vessel damage, production of unstable molecules called free radicals, and mitochondrial dysfunction .
Bonus: About Alzheimers Disease Facts
Alzheimers disease facts- history and hope.
Alzheimers disease was named based on the work of Alois Alzheimer. In the year of 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed usual brain lesions and clumps taken from a mentally ill woman.
Her condition, which was designated as rare, included symptoms including memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior.
Following her death, an autopsy was conducted.
Dr. Alzheimer found many abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers .
These were the foundation elements that now represent the widely accepted scientific biomarkers for Alzheimers disease.
The brain is something that even researchers agree there is much they just dont yet understand.
However, through decades of active clinical trials, patient-case anomalies, and advanced technology, the knowledge base is ever-expanding.
We should even be encouraged by this.
Every notable clinical finding serves to introduce new avenues for treatment and early diagnostic techniques.
More importantly, it gives way to enhanced potential for genetic interventions.
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Disproportionate Impact On Women
Globally, dementia has a disproportionate impact on women. Sixty-five percent of total deaths due to dementia are women, and disability-adjusted life years due to dementia are roughly 60% higher in women than in men. Additionally, women providethe majority of informal care for people living with dementia, accounting for 70% of carer hours.
The Alzheimers Disease Crisis By The Numbers
Alzheimers is not a normal part of agingit is a devastating disease.
Alzheimers disease and related dementias can be emotionally and financially ruinous for people living with the disease, their caregivers and families, and society at large. Alzheimers disease and other dementias have catastrophic healthcare, economic, and social impactsand these impacts are rapidly growing.
Barrons Magazine describes it as the coming Alzheimers crisis The Economist describes the rising prevalence of dementia as a global emergency.
Someone in the United States develops Alzheimers every 60 seconds. By 2050 this is projected to be every 33 seconds.
Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia, a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memories and thinking skills. Alzheimers often starts 5, 10, or even 20 years before symptoms appear. Symptoms usually start with difficulty remembering new information. In advanced stages, symptoms include confusion, mood and behavior changes, and inability to care for ones self and perform basic life tasks. Alzheimers is ultimately fatal.
The risks and ramifications extend beyond Alzheimers disease itself. People living with Alzheimers are twice as likely to get the COVID-19 virus than other people – and they also face accelerated cognitive decline from well-intended quarantine measures.
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Dementia And Alzheimer Are Not The Same
Many times, we hear these two terms interchanged as a synonymous disease. They are not the same, but rather dementia is a subset of Alzheimers disease.
Dementia is defined as a in mental cognition and ability. It is a blanket term for a set of symptoms associated with compromised brain function.
Whereas, Alzheimers disease is classically defined as when brain cells progressively die over time that results in memory loss, brain function, cognitive function, and behavior.
Alzheimers disease is almost always confirmed at the time of death after analyzing brain tissue.
The clinical findings that assist to diagnose Alzheimers disease are tangles or plaques, which act as evidence of damaged brain cells.
Additionally, the causes vary for patients suffering from forms of dementia.
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What Is Known About Alzheimers Disease
Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimers disease. There likely is not a single cause but rather several factors that can affect each person differently.
- Age is the best known risk factor for Alzheimers disease.
- Family historyresearchers believe that genetics may play a role in developing Alzheimers disease. However, genes do not equal destiny. A healthy lifestyle may help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimers disease. Two large, long term studies indicate that adequate physical activity, a nutritious diet, limited alcohol consumption, and not smoking may help people. To learn more about the study, you can listen to a short podcast.
- Changes in the brain can begin years before the first symptoms appear.
- Researchers are studying whether education, diet, and environment play a role in developing Alzheimers disease.
- There is growing scientific evidence that healthy behaviors, which have been shown to prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, may also reduce risk for subjective cognitive decline. Heres 8 ways.
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Health Environmental And Lifestyle Factors
Research suggests that a host of factors beyond genetics may play a role in the development and course of Alzheimers. There is a great deal of interest, for example, in the relationship between cognitive decline and vascular conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Ongoing research will help us understand whether and how reducing risk factors for these conditions may also reduce the risk of Alzheimers.
A nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement, and mentally stimulating pursuits have all been associated with helping people stay healthy as they age. These factors might also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimers. Researchers are testing some of these possibilities in clinical trials.