Alzheimers Fast Facts

Aging and Alzheimer's disease Fast Facts

Alzheimer's affects as many as 5.2 million Americans. It is progressive, fatal, and is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing diabetes, according to the Alzheimer's Association
10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's in their lifetimes
Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's affects people of all races, creeds and socio-economic levels. Did you know Rita Hayworth, Norman Rockwell, Ronald Reagan and Rosa Parks all suffered from Alzheimer's?
The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementias to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year
Almost 10 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer's or another dementia disease. In 2007, they provided 8.4 billion hours of unpaid care, a contribution to the nation valued at $89 billion
Texas alone will see a 26 percent increase in the number of citizens with Alzheimer's, from 270,000 in the year 2000, to 340,000 in 2010
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 57.8 million baby boomers will be living in the year 2030. That year, boomers will be between ages 66 and 84
By 2011, the number of Americans 65 and older will double
By 2050, 14 million Americans and more than 36 million worldwide are expected to have Alzheimer's disease

For more information about the UNT Health Science Center's work in aging and Alzheimer's disease, contact the media office at 817-735-2446.

This page last updated 13th Aug 2012