Alzheimer’s disease in the United States

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s has more than doubled since 1980.

The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease will continue to grow – by 2050 the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s could range from 11.6 million to 16 million.

Finding a treatment that could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by five years could reduce the number of individuals with the disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years.

A Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association found that 1 in 10 Americans said they had a family member with Alzheimer’s and 1 in 3 knew someone with the disease.

Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. One in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half over 85 are affected. Rare, inherited forms of the disease can strike individuals as early as their 30s and 40s.

A person with Alzheimer’s disease will live an average of eight years and up to as many as 20 years from the onset of symptoms as estimated by relatives. From the time of diagnosis, people with Alzheimer’s survive about half as long as those of similar age without dementia. Average survival time is affected by age at diagnosis and severity of other medical conditions.


The Cost of Care to Families

National direct and indirect costs of caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are at least $100 billion, according to estimates used by the Alzheimer’s Association and National institute on Aging.

In 1982, the Alzheimer’s Association awarded its first round of research grants, totaling just under $80,000. Today, the Association is the largest private, nonprofit fund providerer of Alzheimer’s disease research, having awarded more than $165 million in research grants since 1982, according to our audited annual financial statements.

The average lifetime cost of care for an individual with Alzheimer’s disease is $174,000.

More than 7 out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease live at home, where family and friends provide almost 75 percent of their care. The remainder is “paid care” costing an average of $19,000 per year. Almost all families pay this out of pocket.

Statistics provided by Alzheimer’s Association