From Kevin A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association called, “Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2010,” has been released and can be downloaded free online here: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp?type=homepage#aa Here are some facts and figures from the report: 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease. It’s the seventh leading cause of death. There are 10.9 million unpaid caregivers (for people with Alzheimer’s). Number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to rise. From 2000 to 2006, death from Alzheimer’s increased 46.1%. On the other hand, other selected causes of death (e.g., stroke, prostate cancer, heart disease, etc.) have decreased. One important finding was that African Americans and Hispanics are at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s. The following text is from the Alzheimer’s Association Web site: The most significant new information coming from this year’s report: African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s. African-Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s than whites, and Hispanics are about 1.5 times more likely than whites to develop the disease. Although there appears to be no known genetic factor for these differences, the report examines the impact of health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, conditions that are prevalent in the African-American and Hispanic communities and how these conditions also increase Alzheimer risk. Another interesting aspect explored is the fact that although African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher rate of Alzheimer’s than whites to have Alzheimer’s and dementia, they are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis. The report examines the implications of this later diagnosis on families and healthcare costs. (Source: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp?type=homepage#aa ) The increase in numbers of people with Alzheimer’s disease will have far-ranging implications for families, health care providers and both paid and unpaid caregivers. We need to prepare now for the future so that we can provide caring, compassionate care for our elders with dementia using a wide range of resources. The Alzheimer’s Association is also pushing for more investment in trying to beat this disease through research and treatment. Learn more about Alzheimer’s disease at: http://www.alz.org

Original Source of New Alzheimer’s Report