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Alzheimer's Disease Basic Facts
Incidence
 | 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) |
| | As many as 10 million more Americans have milder forms of AD |
| | 19 million Americans have a family member afflicted with AD; 37 million Americans know someone with AD |
Demographics
| | At age 65, 1 out of every 10 people have AD |
| - | from age 65 to 74, about 3% of people are affected |
| - | from age 75 to 84 the figure rises to 19% |
| - | by age 85 or older, AD afflicts 47%
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| | AD prevalence (the number of people with the disease at any one time) doubles every 5 years of age beyond age 65 |
| | More than 34 million Americans (13% of the total population) are over 65 now; in 2025, that figure will rise to 18% |
| | AD is the leading cause of age-related dementia |
Impact
| | AD's estimated cost in the US is $80-100 billion a year in lost productivity, medical care, and personal caretaking |
| | The average cost of caring for an AD patient from diagnosis to death is $174,000 making AD the nation's third most costly illness (after heart disease and cancer) |
| | AD has an enormous impact on the emotional, physical, and financial well-being of individuals, families, the healthcare system, and society as a whole |
| | Estimated annual cost for caring for one Alzheimer's patient: |
| - | at-home care: $18,500 |
| - | nursing home care: $42,000 |
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