There were more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2010. And, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is projected to be more than 13.8 million by the year 2050. The number of people who cannot safely care for themselves means that the country will be overburdened with the need for more caregivers, better treatment, and a widespread expansion of research efforts to slowing, halting and finding a cure for the disease.<\/p>\n
The projected rise of Alzheimer’s cases follows the aging of the Baby Boomer generation; Alzheimer’s is a disease of old age. The Boomers make up 25 percent of the U.S. population \u2013 more than 78 million people \u2013 and with better health care and standards of living than for generations past, that cohort is expected to generally experience an increased lifespan.<\/p>\n