5 million people with Alzheimer's

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The report, titled "2007 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures", is issued to coincide with the Alzheimer's Association's annual Public Policy Forum, which started yesterday in the nation's capital with a gathering of hundreds of advocates from across the US. It was released at a hearing chaired by Senator Barbara Mikulski, who with Senator Christopher Bond and Representatives Edward Markey and Christopher Smith have introduced bipartisan legislation to address issues highlighted in the report.

The estimate of 5 million people with Alzheimer's this year includes 4.9 million, or 1 in 8 people, over the age of 65 and half of those over the age of 85. And there is a surprising number between 200,000 and 500,000 of people under 65 with early onset Alzheimer's and other dementias.

The number of younger Alzheimer's suffereres is something the Association feels is "drastically underreported," said Dr Bill Thies, the medical director of the Association. An example is a person in their 50s showing behaviour changes at work that could be early signs of Alzheimer's such as forgetting deadlines or missing appointments. Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's. And as 78 million baby boomers are now in their 60s, the estimated prevalence is set to go up to 7.7 million by 2030 . By mid-century the report estimates 16 million people will have Alzheimer's, which is more than the combined current population of New York City, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

Alzheimer's is now the seventh leading cause of death in the US and the fifth leading cause of death for the over 65s. One of the reasons the disease is on the rise is because of success in reducing deaths due to the other big killers. "we're keeping people alive so they can live long enough to get Alzheimer's disease," is how the Alzheimer's Association vice president, Steve McConnell, put it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2000 and 2004, death rates have come down for heart disease by 8 per cent, stroke by 10.4 per cent, breast cancer by 2.6 per cent, and prostate cancer by 6.3 per cent. But deaths due to Alzheimer's, according to the CDC, have risen by 33 per cent in the same period.

Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Association explains that the report, "shows the tremendous impact this disease is having on the nation; and with the projected growth of the disease, the collective impact on individuals, families, Medicare, Medicaid, and businesses will be even greater". However, he says it is not all doom and gloom and there is hope. There are 9 promising drugs in phase 3 trials which aim to slow the disease's progress, which with better diagnostic tools hold "the potential to change the landscape of Alzheimer's". This could mean significantly reducing costs of care and increasing the quality of life for Alzheimer's sufferers and their families.