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How Many People Get Alzheimer’s

Risk Factors And Prevention

How To Get Someone With Dementia To Drink Water

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.

What Is Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, is a condition in which people have more memory problems than normal for their age but are still able to carry out their normal daily activities. A doctor can do thinking, memory, and language tests to see if a person has MCI. People with MCI are at a greater risk for developing Alzheimers disease, so its important to see a doctor or specialist regularly if you have this condition.

Trends In Dementia Caregiving

There is some indication that families are now better at managing the care they provide to relatives with dementia than in the past. From 1999 to 2015, dementia caregivers were significantly less likely to report physical difficulties and financial difficulties related to care provision. In addition, use of respite care by dementia caregivers increased substantially . However, as noted earlier, more work is needed to ensure that interventions for dementia caregivers are available and accessible to those who need them. A 2016 study of the Older Americans Act’s National Family Caregiver Support Program found that over half of Area Agencies on Aging did not offer evidence-based family caregiver interventions.

FIGURE 11

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Estimates Of The Number Of People With Alzheimer’s Dementia By State

Table lists the estimated number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia by state for 2020, the projected number for 2025, and the projected percentage change in the number of people with Alzheimer’s between 2020 and 2025.,

Projected Number with Alzheimer’s Percentage Increase
30.0
  • Created from data provided to the Alzheimer’s Association by Weuve et al.,

As shown in Figure , between 2020 and 2025 every state across the country is expected to experience an increase of at least 6.7% in the number of people with Alzheimer’s. These projected increases in the number of people with Alzheimer’s are due solely to projected increases in the population age 65 and older in these states. Because risk factors for dementia such as midlife obesity and diabetes can vary dramatically by region and state, the regional patterns of future burden may be different than reported here. Based on these projections, the West and Southeast are expected to experience the largest percentage increases in people with Alzheimer’s dementia between 2020 and 2025. These increases will have a marked impact on statesâ health care systems, as well as the Medicaid program, which covers the costs of long-term care and support for many older residents with dementia, including more than a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

FIGURE 3

Use And Costs Of Long

How Many Types Of Dementia Are There Check more at http://www ...

An estimated 70% of older adults with Alzheimer’s or other dementias live in the community, compared with 98% of older adults without Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Of those with dementia who live in the community, 74% live with someone and the remaining 26% live alone. As their disease progresses, people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias generally receive more care from family members and other unpaid caregivers. Many people with dementia also receive paid services at home in adult day centers, assisted living facilities or nursing homes or in more than one of these settings at different times during the often long course of the disease. Medicaid is the only public program that covers the long nursing home stays that most people with dementia require in the late stages of their illnesses.

6.3.1 Use of long-term care services by setting

Long-term care services provided at home and in the community

Transitions between care settings

6.3.2 Costs of long-term care services

Affordability of long-term care services

Long-term care insurance

Medicaid costs

State

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What People With Early

An elevator encounter that happened to Laurie Waters highlights the daily plight faced by early-onset Alzheimer’s patients like her.

Waters, 57, was stuck in an elevator at an Alzheimer’s convention with other folks who were growing loud and excitedand the situation was getting to her.

“I was starting to get panic-stricken, being in that enclosed space. And one gentleman was like, ‘Well, what’s the matter with you?'” Waters recalled. “I said, ‘I’m actually living with Alzheimer’s.’ And this woman next to him said, ‘You know, that’s really mean to say that.'”

Her elevator tale illustrates two important lessonsyounger people can have dementia and people with this disease would really rather not debate their diagnosis or be told they don’t look like they have Alzheimer’s.

“I look young, and people even in the Alzheimer’s community who are around it still don’t recognize younger-onset,” said Waters, who lives in Clover, S.C. “It’s everywhere. I’ve had doctors who have sat there, who haven’t met me before, just look at me and be like, ‘Are you sure you’re diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?'”

The frustration for Deborah Jobe comes from folks who talk about her as though she isn’t there.

“My husband and I will be in a room and people will ask him, you know, ‘She looks pretty good, how is she doing?'” said Jobe, 55, of St. Louis, who has an early-onset form of dementia called posterior cortical atrophy.

The upshot from Waters and Jobepeople with Alzheimer’s are still people.

How Common Is Alzheimer’s Disease

About 5.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is rapidly growing. By 2050, this number could potentially rise to 16 million. Every 66 seconds, someone in the United States is diagnosed. Soon, that number could increase to a diagnosis every 33 seconds. Let’s dive into these figures and how Alzheimer’s is impacting families across the world.

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Greater Risks Of Alzheimers And Dementia For Blacks And Latinos

  • 18.6% of Blacks and 14% of Hispanics age 65 and older have Alzheimers compared with 10% of White older adults .

  • Other prevalence studies also indicate that older Blacks are about twiceas likely to have Alzheimers or other dementias as older Whites.
  • Older Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimers or other dementias as older Whites.
  • Concerned About Having Alzheimers

    Why do people with dementia think slow?

    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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    Do Treatments Add Time To Life Expectancy

    Experts simply dont know whether treatments help a person live longer with Alzheimers disease. AD and other similar dementias progress no matter what. Treatments like medications and therapies have been conclusively shown to help manage symptoms, meaning they make it easier to live with the disease, but they do not reverse symptoms. The memory of a person with dementia who takes medications like cholinesterase inhibitors, for example, will be slightly better than the memory of someone who is not on medication. Quality of life therefore improves with treatment. This means better years with dementia, but probably not more years.

    Use And Costs Of Health Care And Long

    Among Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, black/African Americans had the highest Medicare payments per person per year, while whites had the lowest payments . The largest difference in payments was for hospital care, with black/African Americans incurring 1.7 times as much in hospital care costs as whites .

    Race/Ethnicity
    2,756
    • Created from unpublished data from the National 5% Sample Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries for 2014.

    In a study of Medicaid beneficiaries with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia that included both Medicaid and Medicare claims data, researchers found significant differences in the costs of care by race/ethnicity. These results demonstrated that black/African Americans had significantly higher costs of care than whites or Hispanics/Latinos, primarily due to more inpatient care and more comorbidities. These differences may be attributable to later-stage diagnosis, which may lead to higher levels of disability while receiving care delays in accessing timely primary care lack of care coordination duplication of services across providers or inequities in access to care. However, more research is needed to understand the reasons for this health care disparity.

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    What Is Alzheimer Disease

    Alzheimer disease, which affects some older people, is different from everyday forgetting. It is a condition that permanently affects the brain. Over time, the disease makes it harder to remember even basic stuff, like how to tie a shoe.

    Eventually, the person may have trouble remembering the names and faces of family members or even who he or she is. This can be very sad for the person and his or her family.

    It’s important to know that Alzheimer disease does not affect kids. It usually affects people over 65 years of age. Researchers have found medicines that seem to slow the disease down. And there’s hope that someday there will be a cure.

    Impact On Families And Carers

    What age do most people get Alzheimer

    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 to families 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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    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 .

    Key Points About Early

    • Alzheimer disease commonly affects older people, but early-onset Alzheimer disease can affect people in their 30s or 40s.

    • It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.

    • Although there is no known cure, early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better quality of life.

    • Stay healthy with a good diet and regular exercise.

    • Avoid alcohol and other substances that may affect memory, thinking, and behavior.

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    Support For Families And Alzheimer’s Disease Caregivers

    Caring for a person with Alzheimers can have significant physical, emotional, and financial costs. The demands of day-to-day care, changes in family roles, and decisions about placement in a care facility can be difficult. NIA supports efforts to evaluate programs, strategies, approaches, and other research to improve the quality of care and life for those living with dementia and their caregivers.

    Becoming well-informed about the disease is one important long-term strategy. Programs that teach families about the various stages of Alzheimers and about ways to deal with difficult behaviors and other caregiving challenges can help.

    Good coping skills, a strong support network, and respite care are other things that may help caregivers handle the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimers. For example, staying physically active provides physical and emotional benefits.

    Some caregivers have found that joining a support group is a critical lifeline. These support groups enable caregivers to find respite, express concerns, share experiences, get tips, and receive emotional comfort. Many organizations sponsor in-person and online support groups, including groups for people with early-stage Alzheimers and their families.

    Read about this topic in Spanish. Lea sobre este tema en español.

    Stage : Mild Cognitive Impairment

    How is dementia diagnosed?

    Clear cognitive problems begin to manifest in stage 3. A few signs of stage 3 dementia include:

    • Getting lost easily
    • Noticeably poor performance at work
    • Forgetting the names of family members and close friends
    • Difficulty retaining information read in a book or passage
    • Losing or misplacing important objects
    • Difficulty concentrating

    Patients often start to experience mild to moderate anxiety as these symptoms increasingly interfere with day to day life. Patients who may be in this stage of dementia are encouraged to have a clinical interview with a clinician for proper diagnosis.

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    Health Environmental And Lifestyle Factors That May Contribute To Alzheimer’s Disease

    Research suggests that a host of factors beyond genetics may play a role in the development and course of Alzheimer’s disease. 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 conditions 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 Alzheimer’s.

    A nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement, sleep, 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 Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials are testing some of these possibilities.

    Early-life factors may also play a role. For example, studies have linked higher levels of education with a decreased risk of dementia. There are also differences in dementia risk among racial groups and sexesall of which are being studied to better understand the causes of Alzheimers disease and to develop effective treatments and preventions for all people.

    How Many People Have Alzheimers Disease Worldwide

    Recent statistics show that about 50 million people around the world have Alzheimers disease or another type of dementia.

    Facts from the World Health Organization reveal that about 60 percent of people living with dementia worldwide are from a low- or middle-income country.

    The total number of people with dementia is projected to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050, WHO said. To put that in perspective, the current population of the U.S. is 329 million.

    In fact, dementia is now the leading cause of death in the United Kingdom, pushing heart disease into second place. This finding comes from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Office for National Statistics.

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    Numbers Of People With Dementia

    Someone in the world develops dementia every 3 seconds. There are over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2020. This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. Much of the increase will be in developing countries. Already 60% of people with dementia live in low and middle income countries, but by 2050 this will rise to 71%. The fastest growth in the elderly population is taking place in China, India, and their south Asian and western Pacific neighbours.

    Demographic ageing is a worldwide process that shows the successes of improved health care over the last century. Many are now living longer and healthier lives and so the world population has a greater proportion of older people. Dementia mainly affects older people, although there is a growing awareness of cases that start before the age of 65.

    There are over 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide, implying one new case every 3.2 seconds.

    Active Management Of Alzheimer’s Dementia

    Phoebe A. Stoye
    • Appropriate use of available treatment options.
    • Effective management of coexisting conditions.
    • Providing family caregivers with effective training in managing the day-to-day life of the care recipient.
    • Coordination of care among physicians, other health care professionals and lay caregivers.
    • Participation in activities that are meaningful to the individual with dementia and bring purpose to his or her life.
    • Having opportunities to connect with others living with dementia support groups and supportive services are examples of such opportunities.
    • Becoming educated about the disease.
    • Planning for the future.

    To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, as well as practical information for living with Alzheimer’s and being a caregiver, visit alz.org.

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