It’s a case of simple math, but the results are heart-wrenching: The number of people with Alzheimer's disease could triple by 2050.
That’s because the Baby Boomer population is so large that the sheer number of the cohort will drive up Alzheimer’s cases by the time the generation is getting into its 70s and 80s.
“This increase is due to an aging baby boom generation. It will place a huge burden on society, disabling more people who develop the disease, challenging their caregivers, and straining medical and social safety nets,” Jennifer Weuve, MPH, ScD, assistant professor of medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a statement.
She is co-author of the study that was published this week in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Our study draws attention to an urgent need for more research, treatments and preventive strategies to reduce this epidemic,” said Weuve.
According to the academy, the study found that the total number of people with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2050 is projected to be 13.8 million, up from 4.7 million in 2010. About 7 million of those with the disease would be age 85 or older in 2050.
“Our detailed projections use the most up-to-date data, but they are similar to projections made years and decades ago. All of these projections anticipate a future with a dramatic increase in the number of people with Alzheimer’s and should compel us to prepare for it,” said Weuve.
The study was supported by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
Dallas Anderson, director of population studies and epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease at the National Institute on Aging, told USA Today: "These numbers are more credible because they involve new Census data. If you know anyone who has Alzheimer's disease now, you know how dire this projection is for the nation.''
The academy has more about Alzheimer’s disease here.