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Who is affected by Alzheimers disease

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of decline in mental abilities (dementia). It is estimated that 4.5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease, with more than 90% of those people being older than 60. Without a cure, approximately 13.2 million people will have it by the year 2050.1

The National Center for Health Statistics ranks Alzheimer's disease as the ninth leading cause of death among Americans 65 years and older. In 2001, Alzheimer's disease caused 53,852 deaths in the United States.2

Alzheimer's usually affects aging adults. The disease is uncommon in people younger than 65 and is rare before the age of 45. Close to half of the people with the disease are between the ages of 75 and 85.

A rare, inherited form of the disease may affect some people as early as their 40s. This is called autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease or early-onset Alzheimer's.

Citations

  1. Cummings JL (2004). Alzheimer's disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 351: 56-67.

  2. Alzheimer's Disease (2005). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alzheimr.htm.