Description:
Recent advances in the treatment of Alzheimer"s disease represent significant, if imperfect, progress in tackling this leading cause of death in the United States.
In 2021, Alzheimer"s disease will kill more than 119,000 people in the United States, making it the seventh leading cause of death, though its incidence has decreased slightly.
The age-adjusted death rate is lower than in previous years.
Alzheimer"s disease is the leading cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, and affecting approximately 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and over, about one in nine in this age group.
The incidence of Alzheimer"s disease in the United States is expected to increase as the population ages, affecting nearly 14 million people from 5 million in 2014 to 2060.
The economic burden of Alzheimer"s disease is expected to increase, with medical, long-term care and hospital costs increasing from about $345 billion in 2023 to nearly $1 trillion by 2050.