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How Many People Are Affected By Alzheimer’s

Is Alzheimers A Leading Cause Of Death

How technology can help people affected by Dementia | Payam Barnaghi | TEDxUniversityofPiraeus

Alzheimers is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., but the National Institute on Aging notes that among older people, the disease could be the third leading cause of death, right behind heart disease and cancer.

The Alzheimers Association found that Alzheimers deaths have increased by 145 percent between 2000 and 2017. A 2014 study discovered that in 2010, nearly 503,400 people who were over age 75 died from some form of dementia. This estimate was about five times higher than most predictions.

A report by Public Health England found that in 2016, Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia were the most common cause of death in the U.K. among women. The report states that while mortality rates were decreasing for cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer, mortality rates for Alzheimers are expected to rise between 2017 and 2023. A more recent report by Alzheimers Research UK states that Alzheimers and other types of dementia are now the main cause of death in the U.K. Here, dementia was the main cause of death for women and second leading cause of death for men.

The WHO predicts that worldwide, dementia deaths will increase by more than 40 percent between 2015 and 2030.

People With Down Syndrome And Other Intellectual Disabilities

AIDD staff gathered external input regarding people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities who have Alzheimer’s disease. AIDD emailed or telephoned major disability organizations and individuals prominent in the field of intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome and asked them to provide input through listening sessions. Invited organizations included: ARC of the United States National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services Association of University Centers on Disabilities National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities National Disability Rights Network National Down Syndrome Congress National Down Syndrome Society National Task Group on Developmental Disabilities and Dementia Practices Special Olympics and grantees of the National Institute for Disability Research and Rehabilitation . AIDD staff also contacted the American Bar Association . AIDD staff sought family member expertise through disability organizations and directly from known family advocates of people with intellectual disabilities because family support is widely recognized as key in the lives of people with disabilities. Several individuals, while responding in their professional capacity as scholar, researcher, practitioner, or other professional role, also identified themselves as family members of an individual with Down syndrome. In addition, AIDD staff sought the expertise of self-advocates with intellectual disability.

Can Alzheimer’s Disease Be Prevented

As the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not clear, there’s no known way to prevent the condition.

But there are things you can do that may reduce your risk or delay the onset of dementia, such as:

These measures have other health benefits, such as lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease and improving your overall mental health.

Read more about preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

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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

Brain Changes Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Why Im digging deep into Alzheimers

A healthy adult brain has about 100 billion neurons, each with long, branching extensions. These extensions enable individual neurons to form connections with other neurons. At such connections, called synapses, information flows in tiny bursts of chemicals that are released by one neuron and detected by another neuron. The brain contains about 100 trillion synapses. They allow signals to travel rapidly through the brain, and the information they carry creates the cellular basis of memories, thoughts, sensations, emotions, movements and skills.

The accumulation of the protein fragment beta-amyloid into clumps outside neurons and the accumulation of an abnormal form of the protein tau inside neurons are two of several brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s.

Plaques and smaller accumulations of beta-amyloid called oligomers may contribute to the damage and death of neurons by interfering with neuron-to-neuron communication at synapses. Inside neurons, tau tangles block the transport of nutrients and other molecules essential for normal function and neuron survival. Although the complete sequence of events is unclear, beta-amyloid may begin accumulating before abnormal tau, and increasing beta-amyloid accumulation is associated with subsequent increases in tau.,

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Diagnosis And Research Require Significant Effort

Just 14% of countries reporting data could indicate the number of people being diagnosed with dementia. Previous studies suggest that as many as 90% of people with dementia in low- and middle-income countries are unaware of their status.

The data also highlight the need for rapid scale-up of research. There have been some encouraging signs in funding available for investment in research for a cure for dementia in recent years, but much more needs to be done. The number of articles in peer-reviewed journals on dementia in 2016 was close to 7000. This compares with more than 15 000 for diabetes, and more than 99 000 for cancer during the same year. Research is needed not only to find a cure for dementia, but also in the areas of prevention, risk reduction, diagnosis, treatment and care.

The Observatory will provide a knowledge bank where health and social care authorities, medical professionals, researchers and civil society organizations will be able to find country and regional dementia profiles, global reports, policy guidance, guidelines and toolkits on dementia prevention and care.

Concerned About Having Alzheimers

If youre concerned about your thinking or memory, or want to establish a baseline from which to monitor your cognition, BrainTest® is the application for you. BrainTest is the same kind of screening test at doctors offices, but one thats uniquely designed to screen for early changes in cognition associated with Alzheimers Disease, Dementia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment. BrainTest can be taken in the privacy of your own home, anonymously scored at our centralized scoring core-lab, and result videos delivered inside the application feature an explanation of your score from a Board Certified Physician. When youre ready, these results can be shared with your doctor to help start the conversation if youre concerned.

Take your first BrainTest® for free today . Simply access the free app here.

Alz. . Latest Facts and Figures Report. Alzheimers Association. Retrieved from

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Growing Numbers Of People With Alzheimers In The Us

About 6.2 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimers disease. Of the total U.S. population, more than 1 in 9 people age 65 and older has Alzheimers. The percentage of people with Alzheimers increases with age: 5.3% of people ages 65 to 74, 13.8% of people ages 75 to 84, and 34.6% of people 85 and older.

Quick Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease

WHO: Dementia it affects us all

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.

  • Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible degeneration of the brain that causes disruptions in memory, cognition, personality, and other functions that eventually lead to death from complete brain failure.

Alzheimer’s is a growing epidemic.

  • More than 5.8 million Americans now have Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, nearly 14 million Americans over age 65 could be living with the disease, unless scientists develop new approaches to prevent or cure it.1,2 However, estimates based on high-range projections of population growth provided by the U.S. Census suggest that this number may be as high as 16 million.1

Each day, thousands of American families are forever changed by this disease.

  • Every 65 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. By mid-century, someone in America will develop the disease every 33 seconds.2 It is estimated that nearly 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease will be diagnosed this year.3

Alzheimer’s is on the rise throughout the world.

  • Worldwide, at least 50 million people are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.4 According to the United Nations, that is more than the population of Columbia.5 If breakthroughs are not discovered, rates could exceed 152 million by 2050.4

  • In the time it takes to read this sentence out loud, another person somewhere in the world has been diagnosed with dementia.6 Every 3 seconds, someone in the world develops dementia.4

Unpaid caregivers need help.

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Looking To The Future

With the discovery that Alzheimer’s may begin 20 years or more before the onset of symptoms, a substantial window of time has been opened to intervene in the progression of the disease. During this window of time, advances in the identification of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s will enable earlier detection of the disease, giving those affected the opportunity to address modifiable risk factors that may delay cognitive decline and participate in clinical studies of potential new treatments. Biomarker advances will also accelerate the development of these new treatments by enabling clinical trials to specifically recruit individuals with the brain changes experimental therapies target. In addition, biomarker, basic science and other research advances offer the potential to expand the field’s understanding of which therapies may be most effective at which points in the Alzheimer’s disease continuum.

How Many People Have Dementia Vs Alzheimers

Heres an interesting Alzheimers fact: Even though the terms dementia and Alzheimers are often used interchangeably, dementia is not actually a disease. Dementia describes symptoms that affect the brain. Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, making up 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Learn more about the differences between Alzheimers and dementia.

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% Of Alzheimers Disease Patients In The Us Are Women

Based on one study that compared women in their mid-life and men in their mid-life, women had 30% more plaques related to Alzheimers, and 22% had lower brain energy levels. In addition, 11% showed more brain shrinkage.

Scientists believe that menopause can be the primary predictor of Alzheimers changes in the brain.

How To Learn More About Dementia Including Alzheimer’s Disease In Canada:

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Box 1: What’s in the data?

Each data source has strengths and limitations. As such, dementia estimates vary among population-based studies, depending on factors like the definition of dementia, type of data, and methodology used. The data used in this publication are from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System , a collaborative network of provincial and territorial chronic disease surveillance systems, led by the Public Health Agency of Canada . The CCDSS identifies chronic disease cases from provincial and territorial administrative health databases, including physician billing claims and hospital discharge abstract records, linked to provincial and territorial health insurance registry records using a unique personal identifier. Data on all residents eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance are captured in the health insurance registries. Data on diagnosed dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, from Saskatchewan are not included in the CCDSS due to a different utilisation pattern of the International Classification of Diseases codes that would lead to an underestimation of incidence and prevalence in that province.

Definition of diagnosed dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in the CCDSS

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How Many People Are Living With Early

Fact: Early-onset Alzheimers is considered a relatively rare form of the condition, accounting for 10 percent of all Alzheimers cases. There are an estimated 200,000 people in the U.S. living with early-onset Alzheimers, which is a diagnosis before 65 years old. While some people develop Alzheimers in their 40s or 50s, others can develop the disease as early as their 30s. Processes that eventually lead to Alzheimers symptoms, including a build-up of brain plaques, can start as early as our 20s.

Related: Is it Early Onset Alzheimers? A Neuropsychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University Weighs In

Disparities Still Impacting Health And Health Care

Reducing or eliminating disparity has been part of the national conversation as a key goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People initiative for more than 20 years., Yet disparity is still evident in health and health care.

While health disparities and health care disparities are often used interchangeably, there are important distinctions between the two terms. A health disparity exists when there is a higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality in one group relative to another, whereas a health care disparity is used to describe differences between groups in health insurance coverage, access to and use of health care, and quality of health care. For both these disparities, the differences are not explained by variations in health needs, patient preferences, or treatment recommendations and are closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.

The existence and adverse effects of health disparities are well documented. For example, Blacks and Native Americans are more likely than Whites to report a range of health conditions, including asthma and diabetes. Native Americans also have higher rates of heart disease compared with Whites.

Health care system factors that contribute to disparity should also be acknowledged. These include implicit bias on the part of health care providers, as well as cultural and language barriers that impede patient-provider relationships.

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Managing Alzheimer’s Disease Behavior

Common behavioral symptoms of Alzheimers include sleeplessness, wandering, agitation, anxiety, and aggression. Scientists are learning why these symptoms occur and are studying new treatments drug and nondrug to manage them. Research has shown that treating behavioral symptoms can make people with Alzheimers more comfortable and makes things easier for caregivers.

Cbd Can Potentially Reverse The Aging Of The Brain

Alzheimer’s strikes early for Triad family

Alzheimers disease research performed by scientists at the University of Bonn and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem demands attention. The study done on mice showed that CBD can reverse the aging of the brain accelerated by Alzheimers disease. Old mice were brought into the state of two-month-old mice. Hopefully, this will inspire more research on CBD oil for Alzheimers for people.

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Risk Factors And Prevention

Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing. Further, dementia does not exclusively affect older people young onset dementia accounts for up to 9% of cases. Studies show that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Additional risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution.

Total Cost Of Health Care And Long

Table reports the average annual per-person payments for health care and long-term care services for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older with and without Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Total per-person health care and long-term care payments in 2019 from all sources for Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias were over three times as great as payments for other Medicare beneficiaries in the same age group .,

Payment Source
2,395
TOTAL* Payments from sources do not equal total payments exactly due to the effects of population weighting. Payments for all beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias include payments for community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries. 50,201 14,326
  • * Payments from sources do not equal total payments exactly due to the effects of population weighting. Payments for all beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias include payments for community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries.
  • Created from unpublished data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey for 2011.

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Appendix B Data Collection Documents

Memorandum to Task Force Members Describing Data Collection Process

Dear All,

Thanks so much for your enthusiastic participation in Tuesday’s meeting of the federal Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force on Specific Populations. Your interest, knowledge and commitment is great! This email summarizes our discussion about the tasks and next steps as we move forward to produce strategies and action steps related to the unique needs of persons with young onset Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, as well as racial and ethnic minorities who are at increased risk of developing the disease. Tasks and next steps are to:

  • Revised timeline: We agreed to revise the timeline to include opportunities for Task Force members to gather input from external experts prior to our next meeting on October 16. The attached timeline reflects those revisions and is labeled: SPTF Timeline and Action Steps.

  • Planning document: Following is the link to the document My Thinker’s Not Working, with the outline of a plan addressing dementia among people with intellectual disabilities and living in their communities. This was referred to by Dr. Dawn Carlson of NIDRR during our meeting. The plan is found on page IV after the Executive Summary in the document. .

  • Best regards,

    DRAFT Memorandum to External Experts

    Dear ______________,

    I will be to gather your thoughts and guidance as to how we can address the unique needs of these groups of people.

    Sincerely,

    Risk Factors For Alzheimer’s Dementia

    Dementia caused by Parkinson

    The vast majority of people who develop Alzheimer’s dementia are age 65 or older. This is called late-onset Alzheimer’s. Experts believe that Alzheimer’s, like other common chronic diseases, develops as a result of multiple factors rather than a single cause. Exceptions are cases of Alzheimer’s related to uncommon genetic changes that increase risk.

    2.7.1 Age, genetics and family history

    The greatest risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s are older age,, genetics, and having a family history of Alzheimer’s.-

    Age

    Age is the greatest of these three risk factors. As noted in the Prevalence section, the percentage of people with Alzheimer’s dementia increases dramatically with age: 3% of people age 65-74, 17% of people age 75-84 and 32% of people age 85 or older have Alzheimer’s dementia. It is important to note that Alzheimer’s dementia is not a normal part of aging, and older age alone is not sufficient to cause Alzheimer’s dementia.

    Genetics

    APOE Pair
    • One in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s dementia.,,
    • The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s dementia increases with age: 3% of people age 65-74, 17% of people age 75-84, and 32% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. People younger than 65 can also develop Alzheimer’s dementia, but it is much less common and prevalence is uncertain.

    3.1.1 Underdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the primary care setting

    3.1.2 Prevalence of subjective cognitive decline

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