Seattle man invents test to detect early Alzheimer's
[8 December 2003 - Seattle Times] ... Alzheimer's disease, because, like a thief in the night, it robs us of our ability to think, crack jokes, pay bills, dress, drive, and ultimately, our ability to live independently, often requiring a decade or more of care. Its cost to society is enormous � an estimated $100 billion a year, not to mention the profound psychological and personal toll on those it afflicts and those who love and care for them. Its estimated annual cost to U.S. businesses is an additional $61 billion in absenteeism, insurance and productivity losses as employees struggle to care for aging parents who have the disease. But the news gets worse. The fastest-growing population in this country is people 85 years and older, and almost half of all people over 85 have Alzheimer's � now estimated to affect 4 million Americans (with a similar prevalence worldwide). By 2050, these numbers are expected to explode to 14 million people. ...