More Than 5 Million Americans Now Have Alzheimer's

Finding confirms predictions that the disease could reach epidemic proportions as population ages

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

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TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Confirming the long-standing prediction that Alzheimer's disease will approach epidemic proportions as the U.S. population ages, a new report finds that more than five million Americans are now living with the mind-robbing condition.

That represents a 10 percent increase from five years ago and more than double the number in 1980, according to the study released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association.

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One in every eight people over the age of 65 now has Alzheimer's disease, including half of those over 85. Between 2000-04, Alzheimer's-related deaths rose 33 percent.

Scientists now project that 7.7 million older Americans will have the illness by 2030, the association said. By 2050, unless new ways are found to prevent or treat the disease, the total could climb to 16 million.

Younger people are also affected: According to the report, between 200,000 and 500,000 Americans under the age of 65 now suffer from early onset Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia.

But, the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's is increasing age, and with the first round of the 78 million baby boomers turning 60 last year, it's estimated that Alzheimer's now strikes someone in America every 72 seconds. By mid-century, someone will develop Alzheimer's every 33 seconds, the association said.

"Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures clearly shows the tremendous impact this disease is having on the nation. And with the projected growth of the disease, the collective impact on individuals, families, Medicare, Medicaid, and businesses will be even greater," Harry Johns, president of the Alzheimer's Association, said in a prepared statement.

"However, there is hope," he added. "There are currently nine drugs in phase III clinical trials for Alzheimer's, several of which show great promise to slow or stop the progression of the disease. This, combined with advancements in diagnostic tools, has the potential to change the landscape of Alzheimer's."

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