Alzheimer’s Disease

Who is Affected?

Presented by
Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D.
Alzheimer’s Association
December 2010

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 Our challenge is urgent…

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 and global

Somewhere in the world,

someone develops Alzheimer’s
every 7 seconds

Lancet. Dec. 2005

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 Epidemic
• Alzheimer’s is an epidemic. More than half of all
Americans now know someone with Alzheimer’s.
• Almost 30% of Americans have a family member
with the disease.
• To know Alzheimer’s is to fear it.
• 9 out of ten Americans who know someone with
Alzheimer’s are concerned that they or someone
close to them will one day develop the fatal
disease.

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 US Numbers
• Today there are 5.3 million people living with Alzheimer’s
disease. 5.1 million are age 65 and older and 200,000 are
under age 65 and have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
• Every 70 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease
and by 2050 someone will develop the disease every 33
seconds.
• In 2011, baby boomers begin turning 65.
• 78.2M baby boomers (’46-’64)
• Ten million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease
in the United States (1 out of 8).

5 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2010

Alzheimer’s is About Families
• Almost 11 million Americans are caring for a person
with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

• In 2009, these unpaid Alzheimer and dementia

caregivers provided 12.5 billion hours of care valued at
$144 billion – more than the federal government spends
on Medicare and Medicaid combined for people with
Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

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 Alzheimer's Is One of the
Most Costly Conditions
• Reasons: • Results:

• Duration: Average case lasts 4-6 • Medicare payments are 3x

years after diagnosis and can higher for beneficiaries with
last long as 20 years Alzheimer’s disease

• Care: Those with Alzheimer’s

require extensive care; half of • Medicaid payments are 9x
those in nursing homes are higher for beneficiaries with
estimated to have dementia Alzheimer’s disease

• Complications: Most people with

Alzheimer’s have one or more
other serious medical condition

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Although whites make up the great majority of
the more than 5 million people with
Alzheimer’s disease, African-Americans and
Hispanics are at higher risk.

• African-Americans are about two times more likely

than whites to have Alzheimer’s and dementia.

• Hispanics are about one and one-half times more

likely than whites to have Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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High Blood Pressure and Diabetes
• High blood pressure and diabetes are known risk factors
for Alzheimer’s and other dementias among all groups.

• High blood pressure and diabetes are more prevalent in

the African-American community; diabetes is more
prevalent in the Hispanic community. These conditions
probably contribute to the greater prevalence of
Alzheimer’s and dementia among these groups.
• Better management of these conditions
may help reduce Alzheimer and
dementia risk among African-Americans
and Hispanics.

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Under diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Among African-Americans and Hispanics
• Although the rate of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in
African-Americans and Hispanics is higher than in whites, they
are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis of the condition.

• Delays in diagnosis mean that African-Americans and Hispanics

are not getting treatments early when available medications are
more likely to be effective and they have less opportunity to
make legal, financial and care plans while they are still capable.
• RESULTING IN MORE COSTLY CARE!

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 Alzheimer’s Association
“Hispanic Perceptions of
Alzheimer’s Disease”

Funded by MetLife Foundation

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 Survey Methodology
• Surveys were conducted via telephone and online by Decision Analyst, Inc., a
partner of Focus Latino, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association.

• 872 interviews were obtained July 26 through August 18, 2010.

– Online:566
– Telephone: 306

• Respondents:
– Hispanic/Latino males and females aged 25 or older (60% of Mexican origin)
• Male (n=325) / 37%
• Female (n=547) / 63%
– Age 65+ (n=113) / 13%
• If younger than 65, also screened for a parent or close family member who was aged 50 or
older

• In reporting results, statistical testing was performed at the 95% confidence

level.

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 Executive Summary
• Most Hispanics feel that awareness of Alzheimer’s disease is low in
the Latino community. Most also feel that their personal awareness
of the disease is only “somewhat” or “not very” knowledgeable.

• Most Hispanics are interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s

disease.

• The topics that would generate the most interest are the signs and
symptoms, treatment and how the disease progresses.

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Perceptions Of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Only a third of Hispanics think of Alzheimer’s when they hear the word
“dementia,” even though Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.

• Almost all Hispanics realize that Alzheimer’s is progressive, but only about half
realize it is fatal.

• Virtually all Hispanics felt it was important to know the warning signs of
Alzheimer’s to get help and the maximum benefit from treatments.
– Despite the importance placed on this knowledge, most did not feel that
the Latino community was very aware of Alzheimer’s.

• Of the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s, only five were recognized by the

majority of Hispanics. Relatively few recognized that withdrawal from
activities could be a warning sign.

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 Alzheimer’s Awareness
Among The Latino Community
Total Respondents

Very Aware 4%

Somewhat
30%
Aware

Not Very Aware 53%

Not At All
11%
Aware

Q: In your opinion, what is the awareness level of Alzheimer’s disease in the Latino community?
Do you think people are…?

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Personal Knowledge Of Alzheimer’s
Total Respondents

Very
6%
Knowledgeable

Somewhat
39%
Knowledgeable

Not Very
40%
Knowledgeable

Not
Knowledgeable 14%
At All

Q: How knowledgeable would you say you, personally, are about of Alzheimer's?
Would you say you are…?

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 Belief That Alzheimer’s Is
Progressive And Fatal
Percent “Yes” Alzheimer’s Is a Progressive
Percent “Yes” Alzheimer’s Is Fatal
Brain Disease That Causes Memory Loss

93% 53%

Q: Do you think Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that causes memory loss and
problems with thinking and behavior?

Q: Do you think Alzheimer’s is fatal?

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Importance Of Knowing The Signs Of
Alzheimer’s
Total Respondents
Very
Important 73%

Somewhat
22%
Important

Neither
Important Nor 3%
Unimportant

Somewhat
1%
Unimportant

Very
1%
Unimportant

Q: How important do you feel it is to know about the signs of Alzheimer's?

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Birth Country & Length Of Time In U.S.
Total Respondents

Birth Country Years Lived In U.S.

Base: Total Respondents (n=872) Base: Born In Country Other Than U.S. (n=460)

United States 47% 1 to 10 9%

11 to 20 25%
Mexico 32%
21 to 30 24%
Puerto Rico 7% 31 to 40 16%
41 to 50 19%
Cuba 6%
51 to 60 6%
Average #
Other 8% 61 or more 1% Of Years = 30

Q: What country were you born in?

Q: How many years have you been living in the United States?

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Alzheimer’s Disease and Women

A Report by Maria Shriver and the

Alzheimer’s Association
October, 2010

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• Women are at the epicenter of the
Alzheimer epidemic.
• Nearly 10 million American women either
have Alzheimer’s or are caring for
someone with the disease.
– Two-thirds of the people who have
Alzheimer’s — 3.3 million — are women.
– Sixty percent of Alzheimer caregivers — 6.7
million — are women.
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• Women are nearly half of all workers, and
mothers are the primary breadwinners or
co-breadwinners in two-thirds of American
families. (The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation
Changes Everything)
• America is now a nation of women
breadwinners who are raising the next
generation as they care for the last
generation.

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• Four out of ten caregivers say they had no
choice in becoming caregivers.
• 6 of 10 women became caregivers because
they lack other family to do it.
• 40% of women became caregivers because
they were the only females in their families.
• Roughly a quarter of women caregivers
promise to keep their loved ones out of an
institution.

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Research Investment is Required
Despite the current under recognition of Alzheimer’s
disease as a cause of death, it was still the 6th* leading
cause of death among all Americans in 2006 – virtually tied
with diabetes. It was the 5th leading cause of death for
individuals age 65 or older.

For every $25,000 the government spends

on care for people with Alzheimer’s and
dementia, it spends only $100 for
Alzheimer research.
*Updated May 20, 2010 – National Center for Health Statistics

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 From 2000-2007, Alzheimer’s Disease Deaths
Increased 50.6% while …

Deaths by:
HIV – declined 22.0%
Stroke – declined 18.9%
Heart Disease – declined 13.3%
Prostate Cancer – declined 6.4%
Breast Cancer – declined 3.1%

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*Updated May 20, 2010 by the National Center for Health Statistics

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Emerging research could usher in a new era of
disease-modifying treatments
Approximately 90 experimental therapies aimed at slowing or stopping
the progression of Alzheimer’s are in clinical testing in human
volunteers.
There are 4 drugs in Phase III clinical development and more than 30
drugs in Phase II clinical trials.

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 Alzheimer’s Disease Epidemic
• We must invest in research to find a way
to stop or slow this devastating disease.
• Alzheimer’s has no cure, but there is hope.
Advances in early diagnosis tools like
biomarkers from spinal taps and MRIs
may give us an opportunity to develop
treatments that could delay onset, slow or
stop the progression of Alzheimer’s.

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