AD affects approximately 5 million people in the United States and more than 30 million people worldwide. A larger number of individuals have decreased levels of cognitive impairment (eg, minimal cognitive impairment), which frequently evolves into a full-blown dementia, thereby increasing the number of affected persons. The prevalence of AD is expected to substantially increase in this century because it preferentially affects the elderly, who constitute the fastest growing age group in many, especially industrialized, countries. Statistical projections indicate that the number of persons affected by the disorder in the United States will nearly triple by the year 2050.
AD is also a major public health problem from the economic perspective. In the United States, the cost of caring for patients with AD was more than $110 billion per year in the early 1990s, and the average yearly cost per patient is about $45,000. Because methods for assessing the economic effects of neurodegenerative disorders are still in their infancy, these figures must be interpreted as underestimates.
Many excellent treatises on AD have reviewed important aspects of the disorder in considerable detail. This article is intended to be a comprehensive but not necessarily exhaustive review of AD.
AD is also a major public health problem from the economic perspective. In the United States, the cost of caring for patients with AD was more than $110 billion per year in the early 1990s, and the average yearly cost per patient is about $45,000. Because methods for assessing the economic effects of neurodegenerative disorders are still in their infancy, these figures must be interpreted as underestimates.
Many excellent treatises on AD have reviewed important aspects of the disorder in considerable detail. This article is intended to be a comprehensive but not necessarily exhaustive review of AD.
Understand the genetic factors associated with Alzheimer's Disease, supported by statistical data. Know the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease and how to diagnose the disease. Speak knowledgeably about methods of treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.
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