ACT on Alzheimer’s Disease Curriculum Module II: Demographics

Demographics These slides are based on the Module II: Demographics text Please refer to the text for all citations, references and acknowledgments

Module II: Learning Objectives Upon completion of this module the student should: Identify the demographics of people that are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Gain insight of the anticipated increase and impact Alzheimer’s disease will have in the future.

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease In 2013, 5.2 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease 5 million of those with Alzheimer’s disease are 65 years and older 200,000 of those with Alzheimer’s disease are younger than 65 years of age and have younger-onset Alzheimer’s Because Alzheimer’s disease is underdiagnosed, half of the 5.2 million Americans with Alzheimer’s may not know that they have the disease

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease 1 in 9 people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease 32% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s disease Of those with Alzheimer’s disease 4% are under 65 years 15% are 65 to 74 43% are 75 to 84 38% are 85 and older

Prevalence in Men and Women 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women The larger proportion of women with Alzheimer’s disease is primarily explained by the fact that women live longer than men

Prevalence by Education Prevalence and incidence studies show that fewer years of education is associated with greater likelihood of developing dementia Some researchers believe that additional education provides a “cognitive reserve” that allows people to compensate for changes in the brain Other researchers believe that higher risk of dementia for those with less education can be explained by the higher risks found in people in lower socioeconomic groups such as higher risk of disease and less medical care

Prevalence by Race Older African-American and Hispanic people are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than are older white people Older African-Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias as are older whites Older Hispanics are 1.5x as likely to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias as are older whites

Prevalence by Race There is no evidence to suggest that genetic factors explain the large difference in Alzheimer’s and dementia prevalence across racial groups Other risk factors may explain the varied prevalence such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lower education levels and socioeconomic status

Projections for the Future By 2030, the US population over the age of 65 is expected to double As the number of older Americans continues to grow, the number of Alzheimer’s cases will continue to increase

Projections for the Future By 2025, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease will grow to 7.1 million people A 40% increase in the 5 million age 65 and older currently affected By 2050, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may triple