Think about how many people you know who suffer from Alzheimer?s disease.
Now imagine four times as many of your friends, relatives and loved ones suffering from the neurological disorder characterized by forgetfulness, paranoia, delusion and hallucinations.
As many as 106 million people will have Alzheimer?s by 2050, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. That?s four times the 26 million people currently estimated to be living with the disease.
Also by 2050, 43 percent of those with Alzheimer?s disease will need high-level care, equivalentto that of a nursing home. The findings were presented at the Second Alzheimer?s Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia last weekend in Washington, and are published in the association?s journal, Alzheimer?s & Dementia.
“We face a looming global epidemic of Alzheimer?s disease as the world?s population ages,” said lead author Ron Brookmeyer, and chair of the Master of Public Health Program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “If we can make even modest advances in preventing Alzheimer?s disease or delay its progression, we could have a huge global public health impact.”
A treatment or drug that could delay the onset of Alzheimer?s for just one year would reduce the global caseload by 12 million by 2050, their article reported. Treatments that could delay onset and slow the progression of the disease could reduce caseload by an additional 9 million.
The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer?s and other dementias amount to more than $315 billion annually, according to the Alzheimer?s Association.
In Maryland, the Association estimated the number of cases will rise 10 percent from 78,000 people in 2001 to 86,000 by 2010. Maryland?s caregivers provide more than $1.4 billion in care to Alzheimer?s patients outside of hospital or nursing home costs.
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