How Common Is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimers
During the 1960s, researchers considered Alzheimer's disease a rare disorder. But over the last 30 years, scientists have recognized that it's fairly common -- in fact, Alzheimer's is the leading cause of age-related dementia.
Many famous people have had Alzheimer's disease: British statesman Winston Churchill, actress Rita Hayworth, and most recently, former President Ronald Reagan.
An estimated four million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease. In rare cases, it begins to develop before age 50. But the vast majority of people with Alzheimer's develop the disease after 60.
About one in every 10 Americans 65 and older has the disease [1]. But that overall figure is misleading. According to a large survey of retired individuals, risk of Alzheimer's disease changes considerably during the older years:
- From age 65 to 74, about 3% of people are affected
- From age 75 to 84, the figure rises to 19%
- And for those 85 and older, Alzheimer's afflicts 47% [2]
Currently the U.S. population is aging, with people over 85 becoming the nation's fastest-growing age group. Because this is also the group most affected by Alzheimer's disease, experts warn that unless researchers discover how to prevent the disease, by the year 2050, as many as 15% of those over 65 might have Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's affects not only the person with the disease, but his or her loved ones. According to the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging:
- About 2.7 million spouses, relatives, and friends care for people with Alzheimer's
- Some 19 million Americans say a family member has the disease
- About 37 million Americans say they know someone with Alzheimer's
- Half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer's disease or some other dementing illness