ACT on Alzheimer’s Disease Curricula

Module II: Demographics

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Demographics

• These slides are based on the Module II: Demographics text

• Please refer to the text for all citations, references and acknowledgments

Module VI: Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module the student should:• Identify the demographics of people that are

affected by Alzheimer’s disease. • Gain insight of the anticipated increase and

impact Alzheimer’s disease will have in the future.

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease

• In 2012, 5.4 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease– 5.2 million of those with Alzheimer’s disease are 65

years and older– 200,000 of those with Alzheimer’s disease are less than

65 years of age and have younger onset Alzheimer’s• Because Alzheimer’s disease is underdiagnosed,

more than half of the 5.4mm Americans with Alzheimer’s may not know that they have the disease

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease

• 1 in 8 people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease

• 45% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s disease

• Of those with Alzheimer’s disease– 4% are under 65 years– 6% are 65 to 74– 44% are 75 to 84– 46% are 85 and older

Prevalence in Men and Women

• 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women

• The larger proportion of women with Alzheimer’s disease is primarily explained by the fact that women live longer than men

Prevalence by Education

• Prevalence and incidence studies show that fewer years of education is associated with greater likelihood of developing dementia– Some researchers believe that additional education

provides a “cognitive reserve” that allows people to compensate for changes in the brain

– Other researchers believe that higher risk of dementia for those with less education can be explained by the higher risks found in people in lower socioeconomic groups such as higher risk of disease and less medical care

Prevalence by Race

• Older African-American and Hispanic people are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than are older white people– Older African-Americans are twice as likely to

develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias as are older whites

– Older Hispanics are 1.5x as likely to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias as are older whites

Prevalence by Race

• There is no evidence to suggest that genetic factors explain the large difference in Alzheimer’s and dementia prevalence across racial groups– Other risk factors may explain the varied

prevalence such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lower education levels and socioeconomic status

Projections for the Future

• By 2030, the US population over the age of 65 is expected to double

• As the number of older Americans continues to grow, the number of Alzheimer’s cases will continue to increase

Projections for the Future

• By 2025, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease will grow to 6.7 million people, a 30% increase from 2012

• By 2050, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may triple from 2012 levels

• By 2050, the number of people 85 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may quadruple from 2012 levels