2023 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Annual statistical surveillance report and aggregate national epidemiological estimates (Level 5 by design analogy)
PubMed 36918389 · doi:10.1002/alz.13016
What was done
The Alzheimer's Association compiled public health surveillance data, official vital statistics, and economic models to describe US prevalence, mortality, caregiving impact, healthcare workforce shortages, and direct costs associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias.
What was found
An estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's dementia, with projections reaching 13.8 million by 2060. In 2019, official death certificates attributed 121,499 deaths to AD, making it the sixth-leading cause of death overall (seventh in 2020–2021; fifth among adults aged 65+). From 2000 to 2019, reported AD deaths increased by more than 145%. In 2022, over 11 million unpaid caregivers provided roughly 18 billion hours of care valued at $339.5 billion. Direct 2023 expenditures for healthcare, long-term care, and hospice among older adults with dementia were estimated at $345 billion, with average per-person Medicare and Medicaid payments being roughly 3 times and >22 times higher, respectively, than for individuals without dementia.
Why it matters
This report provides national benchmark statistics documenting the rapid growth in Alzheimer's disease burden, substantial economic and caregiver costs, and impending workforce shortages for specialized dementia care.
Limits
The abstract presents aggregate modeled estimates and surveillance registries rather than an individual analytic cohort or trial. Subgroup breakdowns, underlying data limitations, and estimation uncertainty intervals are not detailed in the abstract, and findings apply specifically to the United States.
Cited by
- supports Alzheimer's disease is the only neurodegenerative disease on the top 10 causes of death list.