Compared to the 1999 statistics from the US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, deaths related to Alzheimer’s disease increased by 54.5% by 2014. (1) These numbers highlight the need for increased funding for research into effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, according to Keith Fargo, a director at the Alzheimer’s Association.
Why such a dramatic increase in such a short period of time? People are living longer. The age group that saw the biggest increase was those 85 years of age and older.
See also: preventing Alzheimer’s
Another concerning number was the percentage of deaths that occurred at home – nearly 25%. This is concerning to Fargo due to the snowballing effect that caring for an Alzheimer’s patient has on their family.
Until Alzheimer’s can be cured, “caregiving for persons with advanced Alzheimer’s will remain a demanding task,” the CDC wrote in its report.
In addition to the medical claims of Alzheimer’s patients, “the caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease have $9 billion more in Medicare claims of their own.” Caregiving is “so stressful it takes a physical toll on the bodies.”
The number of Alzheimer’s related deaths is expected to increase in the coming years, as the baby boomer population enters old age.
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source: ABCNews, ScienceAlert