ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S
Alzheimer’s is one of the largest social, medical, and economic crises in our nation’s history. No family, government agency or business will be immune from its devastation. We want to wipe it out before it wipes us out. Commit to staying informed about what Alzheimer’s is, what it is not, and what you can do now to keep you brain healthy.
Know the Numbers
- Over 7 million Americans today live with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease begins to develop in the brain 20-30 years before diagnosis.
- 2/3 of those diagnosed are women.
- Nearly 13 million Americans act as unpaid caregivers to people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. 2 in 3 of them are women.
- A woman in her 60s is twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the course of her lifetime than breast cancer
- After 45, a woman has a 1 in 5 chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- By 2060, approximately 13.8 million people in the U.S. will be living with Alzheimer’s disease, and millions more family members and friends will suffer alongside those diagnosed.
Too few people know these facts until Alzheimer’s strikes. The time to know them is now.
Know the Facts
- Alzheimer’s disease is NOT a natural part of aging.
- If Alzheimer’s runs in your family that does not necessarily mean you will get it.
- Conversely, if it does not run in your family, you are still at risk.
- Healthy habits can prevent or slow the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. This includes diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
Know the Economics
- Alzheimer’s is the nation’s most expensive disease.
- The cost of Alzheimer’s d and other dementias to the United States’ economy is a staggering $409 billion, in health care, long-term care and hospice.
- And yet, Federal funding for Alzheimer’s research is about $3.6 billion a year, compared to about $7.2 billion for cancer. We need more funding for research to find treatments and a cure for this disease.
- The expected cost of Alzheimer’s is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2050.
- Costs for care far exceed other terminal illness such as cancer and heart disease. The lifetime total cost of care, including is estimated at $417,263 per person living with Alzheimer’s disease.