CDC: Alzheimer's, Dementia Rate Expected to Double by 2060

THE SHARE OF AMERICANS with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is expected to more than double by 2060 as people increasingly survive into older adulthood, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An estimated 5 million older adults had Alzheimer’s or a related dementia in 2014, and by 2060 that figure is expected to rise to 13.9 million, or about 3.3 percent of the U.S. population, according to the report, which evaluated health claims data for more than 28 million Medicare beneficiaries.

Alzheimer’s – the fifth-leading cause of death for adults 65 and older and the sixth-leading cause of death for Americans overall – destroys memory and cognitive functioning and poses a greater risk as people age.

“Early diagnosis is key to helping people and their families cope with loss of memory, navigate the health care system, and plan for their care in the future,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement.

The report also highlights stark racial and ethnic disparities among those who develop dementia. Among adults 65 and older, an estimated 13.8 percent of black Americans had Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia in 2014, compared with 12.2 percent of Hispanics, 10.3 percent of whites and 8.4 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

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https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2018-09-20/alzheimers-dementia-rate-expected-to-double-by-2060-cdc-study-says