The Facts on Alzheimer's Disease

• More than 5 million Americans are believed to have Alzheimer’s disease and by 2050, the number could increase to 15 million.
  
  
• Approximately 350,000 new cases of Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed each year.
  
  
• According to preliminary data from the CDC, in 2006, approximately 72,914 deaths were recorded as being caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
  
  
• It is estimated that there are currently 26 million people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease. This figure is projected to grow to more than 106 million people by 2050.
  
  
• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
  
  
• Alzheimer’s disease usually begins after age 60 and risk increases with age. Younger people in their 30s, 40s and 50s may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is rare.
  
  
• Approximately 5 percent of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease are believed to be familial (hereditary). In familial cases, often called early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, symptoms typically appear within the age range of 30 - 60 years.
  
  
• Half of those 85 years and older suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
  
  
• Approximately 5.1 million Americans are age 85 years or older, and this age group is one of the fastest growing segments of the population. It is also the group with the highest risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that at least 19 million people will be age 85 and older by the year 2050.
  
  
• Common symptoms include: disturbances in memory, attention, and orientation, changes in personality, language difficulties, and impairments in gait and movement.
  
  
• On average, patients with Alzheimer’s disease live for 8 to 10 years after diagnosis, but this fatal disease can last as long as 20 years, or as little as 3 to 4 years if the patient is over 80 years old when diagnosed.
  
  
• Currently, the only way to definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease is to physically examine the brain through autopsy.
  
  
• Approximately 70% of Alzheimer’s disease patients receive care at home.
  
  
• In terms of health care expenses and lost wages of both patients and their caregivers, the cost of Alzheimer's disease nationwide is estimated at $100 billion per year.
  
  
• Nearly half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
  
  
• The average hourly rate for home health aides is $20.
  
  
• The average annual cost for an assisted living facility is $36,372.
  
  
• The average daily cost of a private room in a nursing home is $219, which calculates to $79,935 per year.
  
  
• The yearly cost of caring for one Alzheimer's patient is estimated to be $76,000, including indirect costs and medical expenses.
  
  
• The average cost for the illness from diagnosis to death is $174,000, the third most expensive disease in the U.S.
  
  
• The care of an Alzheimer’s patient, viewed as custodial care, is not covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans.
  
  
• In the absence of disease, the human brain often can function well into the 10th decade of life.
  
  
• One third of those whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s disease provide support to their loved ones.
  
  
• Of those providing financial support to someone with Alzheimer’s, the average amount is $200 per month. Those providing caregiving support give the average amount of 16 hours a month.
  
  
• Among those who do not personally have Alzheimer’s disease, one third worry about getting Alzheimer’s. Those who have a parent or parent in law with the disease are even more concerned.
  
  
• Nearly 2 in 10 Americans believe they know someone with Alzheimer’s disease who has not sought diagnosis/treatment.

Source: The 2005 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home & Home Care Costs and the 2005 MetLife Market Survey of Assisted Living Costs reports provided statistics on the expenses associated with home health aides, nursing homes and assisting living facilities. The remaining information was obtained from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Institute on Aging, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HBO Alzheimer's Project/Harris Interactive Census, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Disease International.

Last Reviewed On: 09/11/09