You are on page 1of 29

Alzheimers Disease Who is Affected?

Presented by

Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D. Alzheimers Association December 2010

Our challenge is urgent

and global

Somewhere in the world, someone develops Alzheimers every 7 seconds


Lancet. Dec. 2005

Epidemic
Alzheimers is an epidemic. More than half of all Americans now know someone with Alzheimers. Almost 30% of Americans have a family member with the disease. To know Alzheimers is to fear it. 9 out of ten Americans who know someone with Alzheimers are concerned that they or someone close to them will one day develop the fatal disease.

US Numbers
Today there are 5.3 million people living with Alzheimers disease. 5.1 million are age 65 and older and 200,000 are under age 65 and have younger-onset Alzheimers disease. Every 70 seconds someone develops Alzheimers disease and by 2050 someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds. In 2011, baby boomers begin turning 65.
78.2M baby boomers (46-64)

Ten million baby boomers will develop Alzheimers disease in the United States (1 out of 8).
5
Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures 2010

Alzheimers is About Families


Almost 11 million Americans are caring for a person with Alzheimers disease and other dementias. In 2009, these unpaid Alzheimer and dementia caregivers provided 12.5 billion hours of care valued at $144 billion more than the federal government spends on Medicare and Medicaid combined for people with Alzheimers and other dementias.

Alzheimer's Is One of the Most Costly Conditions


Reasons:
Duration: Average case lasts 4-6 years after diagnosis and can last long as 20 years

Results:
Medicare payments are 3x higher for beneficiaries with Alzheimers disease

Care: Those with Alzheimers require extensive care; half of those in nursing homes are estimated to have dementia Complications: Most people with Alzheimers have one or more other serious medical condition
7

Medicaid payments are 9x higher for beneficiaries with Alzheimers disease

Although whites make up the great majority of the more than 5 million people with Alzheimers disease, African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk.
African-Americans are about two times more likely than whites to have Alzheimers and dementia. Hispanics are about one and one-half times more likely than whites to have Alzheimers and dementia.

High Blood Pressure and Diabetes


High blood pressure and diabetes are known risk factors for Alzheimers and other dementias among all groups. High blood pressure and diabetes are more prevalent in the African-American community; diabetes is more prevalent in the Hispanic community. These conditions probably contribute to the greater prevalence of Alzheimers and dementia among these groups. Better management of these conditions may help reduce Alzheimer and dementia risk among African-Americans and Hispanics.
10

Under diagnosis of Alzheimers and Dementia Among African-Americans and Hispanics


Although the rate of Alzheimers disease and dementia in African-Americans and Hispanics is higher than in whites, they are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis of the condition.

Delays in diagnosis mean that African-Americans and Hispanics are not getting treatments early when available medications are more likely to be effective and they have less opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans while they are still capable. RESULTING IN MORE COSTLY CARE!

11

12

Alzheimers Association Hispanic Perceptions of Alzheimers Disease


Funded by MetLife Foundation

13

Survey Methodology
Surveys were conducted via telephone and online by Decision Analyst, Inc.,
a partner of Focus Latino, on behalf of the Alzheimers Association.

872 interviews were obtained July 26 through August 18, 2010.


Online:566
Telephone: 306

Respondents:
Hispanic/Latino males and females aged 25 or older (60% of Mexican origin) Male (n=325) / 37% Female (n=547) / 63% Age 65+ (n=113) / 13% If younger than 65, also screened for a parent or close family member who was aged 50
or older

In reporting results, statistical testing was performed at the 95% confidence


level.

14

Executive Summary
Most Hispanics feel that awareness of Alzheimers disease is low in the Latino community. Most also feel that their personal awareness of the disease is only somewhat or not very knowledgeable.

Most Hispanics are interested in learning more about Alzheimers disease.

The topics that would generate the most interest are the signs and symptoms, treatment and how the disease progresses.

15

Perceptions Of Alzheimers Disease

Only a third of Hispanics think of Alzheimers when they hear the word dementia, even though Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia. Almost all Hispanics realize that Alzheimers is progressive, but only about half realize it is fatal. Virtually all Hispanics felt it was important to know the warning signs of Alzheimers to get help and the maximum benefit from treatments. Despite the importance placed on this knowledge, most did not feel that the Latino community was very aware of Alzheimers. Of the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers, only five were recognized by the majority of Hispanics. Relatively few recognized that withdrawal from activities could be a warning sign.

16

Alzheimers Awareness Among The Latino Community


Total Respondents
Very Aware 4%

Somewhat Aware

30%

Not Very Aware

53%

Not At All Aware

11%

Q: In your opinion, what is the awareness level of Alzheimers disease in the Latino community? Do you think people are?

17

Personal Knowledge Of Alzheimers


Total Respondents
Very Knowledgeable 6%

Somewhat Knowledgeable

39%

Not Very Knowledgeable

40%

Not Knowledgeable At All

14%

Q: How knowledgeable would you say you, personally, are about of Alzheimer's? Would you say you are?

18

Belief That Alzheimers Is Progressive And Fatal


Percent Yes Alzheimers Is a Progressive Brain Disease That Causes Memory Loss Percent Yes Alzheimers Is Fatal

93%

53%

Q: Do you think Alzheimers is a progressive brain disease that causes memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior? Q: Do you think Alzheimers is fatal?

19

Importance Of Knowing The Signs Of Alzheimers


Total Respondents
Very Important

73%

Somewhat Important Neither Important Nor Unimportant Somewhat Unimportant

22%

3%

1%

Very Unimportant

1%

Q: How important do you feel it is to know about the signs of Alzheimer's?

20

Birth Country & Length Of Time In U.S.


Total Respondents Birth Country Years Lived In U.S.
Base: Born In Country Other Than U.S. (n=460)

Base: Total Respondents (n=872)

United States Mexico Puerto Rico Cuba Other

47% 32% 7% 6% 8%

1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 or more

9% 25% 24% 16% 19% 6% 1%


Average # Of Years = 30

Q: What country were you born in? Q: How many years have you been living in the United States?

21

Alzheimers Disease and Women

A Report by Maria Shriver and the Alzheimers Association October, 2010

22

Women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer epidemic. Nearly 10 million American women either have Alzheimers or are caring for someone with the disease.
Two-thirds of the people who have Alzheimers 3.3 million are women. Sixty percent of Alzheimer caregivers 6.7 million are women.
23

Women are nearly half of all workers, and mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of American families. (The Shriver Report: A Womans Nation
Changes Everything)

America is now a nation of women breadwinners who are raising the next generation as they care for the last generation.
24

Four out of ten caregivers say they had no choice in becoming caregivers. 6 of 10 women became caregivers because they lack other family to do it. 40% of women became caregivers because they were the only females in their families. Roughly a quarter of women caregivers promise to keep their loved ones out of an institution.
25

Research Investment is Required


Despite the current under recognition of Alzheimers disease as a cause of death, it was still the 6th* leading cause of death among all Americans in 2006 virtually tied with diabetes. It was the 5th leading cause of death for individuals age 65 or older.

For every $25,000 the government spends on care for people with Alzheimers and dementia, it spends only $100 for Alzheimer research.
*Updated May 20, 2010 National Center for Health Statistics

26

From 2000-2007, Alzheimers Disease Deaths Increased 50.6% while


60%

Deaths by:
HIV declined 22.0% Stroke declined 18.9% Heart Disease declined 13.3% Prostate Cancer declined 6.4%

50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30%

Breast Cancer declined 3.1%

*Updated May 20, 2010 by the National Center for Health Statistics

27

Emerging research could usher in a new era of disease-modifying treatments


Approximately 90 experimental therapies aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of Alzheimers are in clinical testing in human volunteers. There are 4 drugs in Phase III clinical development and more than 30 drugs in Phase II clinical trials.
28

Alzheimers Disease Epidemic


We must invest in research to find a way to stop or slow this devastating disease. Alzheimers has no cure, but there is hope. Advances in early diagnosis tools like biomarkers from spinal taps and MRIs may give us an opportunity to develop treatments that could delay onset, slow or stop the progression of Alzheimers.

29

You might also like