TUESDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Alzheimer's deaths are increasing, with one in three seniors currently expected to die with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, according to a report published by the Alzheimer's Association.
Researchers from the Alzheimer's Association examined the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and considered its human and financial toll.
According to the report, in 2010, Alzheimer's disease was the sixth leading cause or contributing cause of death in the United States, with 83,494 deaths. From 2000 to 2010, there was a 68 percent increase in deaths from Alzheimer's. One in three seniors died with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia; in 2013, an estimated 450,000 people in the United States will die with Alzheimer's. More than five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's, and up to 16 million will have the disease by 2050. In 2012, 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care were provided by 15.4 million family and friends of those with Alzheimer's and other dementias, which was valued at $216.4 billion. More than 60 percent of caregivers report high emotional stress and more than one-third report depression symptoms. In 2012, caregivers had $9.1 billion additional health care costs of their own. In 2013, the direct costs to society for Alzheimer's are estimated at $203 billion, and by 2050, the costs are estimated at $1.2 trillion.
"If you have Alzheimer's disease, you either die from it or die with it," Harry Johns, president of the Alzheimer's Association, said in a statement. "Urgent meaningful action is necessary, particularly as more and more people age into greater risk for developing a disease that today has no cure and no way to slow or stop its progression."
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