Alzheimer's disease prevalence rate rises in US

Washington, Mar 21 (UNI) Someone develops Alzheimer's every 72 seconds in the United States, says a new report released by the Alzheimer's Association.

The report, released yesterday, says, in 2007, there are now more than five million people in the US living with Alzheimer's disease, including 500,000 people under the age of 65 with early onset Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

This is a 10 per cent increase from the previous prevalence nationwide estimate of 4.5 million, it said.

It said the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's is increasing age, and with 78 million baby boomers beginning to turn 60 last year, it is estimated that someone in America develops Alzheimer's every 72 seconds; by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer's every 33 seconds.

The report said these new estimates, as well as other data concerning the disease and its effects, are issued yesterday as hundreds of advocates from across the country gathered here for the Alzheimer's Association's annual Public Policy Forum.

The Association's report details the escalation of Alzheimer's disease which now is the seventh leading cause of death in the country and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65.

By mid-century, the number of people with Alzheimer's is expected to grow to as many as 16 million, more than the current total population of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston combined, it said.

According to the latest statistics from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2000-2004 death rates have declined for most major diseases -- heart disease (-8 percent), breast cancer (-2.6 percent), prostate cancer (-6.3 percent) and stroke (-10.4 percent), while Alzheimer's disease deaths continue to trend upward, increasing 33 per cent during that period.

In 2005, state and federal Medicaid spending for nursing home and home care for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias was estimated at 21 billion dollar; that number is projected to increase to 27 billion dollar by 2015.

The new report also highlights the impact that Alzheimer's has on states with more than six in 10 (62 per cent) having double digit growth in prevalence by the end of the decade.

In addition, Alaska (+47 per cent), Colorado (+47 per cent), Utah (+45 per cent), Wyoming (+43 per cent), Nevada (+38 per cent), Idaho (+37 per cent), Oregon (+33 per cent), and Washington (+33 per cent) will experience increases ranging from one-third to one-half.

The states with the largest numbers of deaths due to Alzheimer's disease in 2003 were: California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

UNI