Staggering Statistics About Alzheimer’s Disease.

The headline screams ‘1 in 7 Americans Over 70 Has Alzheimer’s Disease’. Based on a study conducted in 2002 (University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR) and Duke University Medical Center), the article goes on to say “…about 2.4 million of those with dementia, or 9.7 percent of the population age 71 and older, were found to have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia”

Another headline, this time from the Alzheimer’s Association, reports that ‘Every 72 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s.’. A 30 page pdf file, this comprehensive report is a statistical abstract of U.S. data on Alzheimer’s disease published by the Alzheimer’s Association.

It makes for uncomfortable reading. According to the Alzheimer’s Association report (pg 6)

By age group, the proportion and number of the 4.9 million Americans age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s disease breaks down as follows:

* Age 65-74: 2 percent … 300,000 people
* Age 75-84: 19 percent … 2,400,000 people
* Age 85 +: 42 percent … 2,200,200 people

And they estimate that ‘By 2050, the number of individuals age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s could range from 11 million to 16 million unless science finds a way to prevent or effectively treat the disease. By that date, more than 60 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease will be age 85+.’

Scary reading…