2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures

• Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the US.
• More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease.
• 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
• In 2012, 15.4 million caregivers provided more than 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $216 billion.
• In 2013, Alzheimer’s cost the US $203 billion.
• Average per-person Medicare costs for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are three
times higher than for those without these conditions.
• In 2050, Alzheimer’s is projected to cost the US $1.2 trillion (in current dollars).

The federal sequester cut medical research dollars. Top scientists agree the question is not will we beat Alzheimer’s, but when. Investments must be made to develop medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease. Considering the long-term financial and humanitarian toll at stake, tackling this problem sooner, not later, is the correct course.

Contact US Representative Duffy (855-585-4251) and US Senators Johnson (202-224-5323) and Baldwin (202-224-5653) to ask them to support increasing medical research funding on Alzheimer’s to $2 billion. Austerity on this front benefits no one. The country must set this as a top priority. We can’t afford not to.

Source:  http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp

---