New Alzheimer projections add urgency to search for prevention, cure
[18 August 2003 - Alzheimer's Association] An expected Alzheimer's epidemic will be far worse than previously thought, according to a new study published in the current issue of Archives of Neurology. The study, "Alzheimer's Disease in the U.S. Population," predicts the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease will increase 27% by 2020, an astonishing 70% by 2030, and nearly 300% by 2050, unless science finds a way to slow the progression of the disease or prevent it. According to the study's authors, current and future estimates of Alzheimer's disease are essential for public health planning. But because Alzheimer's can progress slowly and is often not diagnosed, and because there is no requirement that the disease be reported, it has been difficult to gauge the scope of the problem. According to Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, "If left unchecked, it is no exaggeration to say that Alzheimer's disease will destroy the health care system and bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid."

Alzheimer's cases expected to rise at a more rapid rate 16 million Americans may be afflicted by 2050
[19 August 2003 - USA Today] A new study suggests the number of cases of Alzheimer's disease may increase at a higher rate than expected, affecting as many as 16 million Americans by the year 2050. Previous studies had put that estimate at 14 million by the middle of the century. The latest study suggests that the disease has the potential to overwhelm the nation's health care system if nothing is done to stop it, warns Sheldon Goldberg, president of the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association. The jump in cases could cause the collapse of Medicare and Medicaid, federal health plans that help pay for Alzheimer's care. And it almost certainly would devastate millions of American families. Goldberg says many families go bankrupt paying for care before federal programs kick in. ''This will have a massive impact on our society,'' Goldberg says, adding that U.S. companies already pay an estimated $61 billion a year for medical expenses and productivity losses associated with Alzheimer's disease.