Monday, August 7, 2017

Alzheimer's Prevalence ~ Stay Away, Chicken Little


The United States Census (2017) indicates our population is 323,127,513. Of that, 15.2% are older adults, which means there are approximately 47m Americans age 65 and over. 

Of that 47m,  5.1m  or approximately 11% have been diagnosed with AD (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 2017). Of that 5.1m, 5% or 255k have been misdiagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (National Hydrocephalus Foundation, 2014), a treatable and reversible condition that has symptoms similar to AD including dementia, gait changes, balance difficulties, and urinary incontinence.   This means that about 90% of older adults do NOT have AD.   

Further, the CDC (2016) has identified the leading causes of death in older adults in this order, indicating that heart disease and cancer are by far more prevalent than AD.  Any headline with "Alzheimer's" gets attention and yet, these are scare tactics and sensationalism.  Almost FIVE TIMES more older adults die every year from heart disease, yet "Heart Disease" in a headline gets few readers.  Please do not adopt the "Chicken Little" approach to Alzheimer's.  Here are the FACTS.  Leading causes of death in 2016 were:

“Heart disease 507,138k

Malignant neoplasms [Cancer] 419.389k

Chronic lower respiratory diseases 131,804k

Cerebrovascular diseases 120,156k

Alzheimer’s disease 109,495k” (CDC, 2016, p. 133).




References:
Amarya, S., Singh, K., & Sabharwal, M. (2014).  Health consequences of obesity in the elderly.  Journal of Clinical Gerontology and Geriatrics, 5(3), 63-67. doi:10.1016/j.jcgg.2014.01.004
 
 
CDC (2016). Defining adult overweight and obesity.  Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html 
 
CDC, National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS], (2015).  Prevalence of obesity among older adults in the United States, 2007-2010.  Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db106.htm


National Hydrocephalus Foundation (2014).  Normal pressure hydrocephalus.  Retrieved fromhttp://nhfonline.org/normal-pressure-hydrocephalus.htm
 

U.S. Census Bureau (2017).  Population estimates, July 1, 2016, (V2016). Retrieved fromhttps://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216
 

 

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