There are 5.3 million Americans living with the disease and every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimers disease. by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimers every 33 seconds. in 2010, there will be a half million new cases of Alzheimers, and there will be more new cases in each subsequent year. in 2050, there will be nearly a million new cases.

Alzheimers was the seventh leading cause of death in the country in 2006, the latest year for which final death statistics are available. It was the fifth leading cause of death among individuals aged 65 and older. From 2000-2006 death rates have declined for most major diseases heart disease (-11.1 percent), breast cancer (-2.6 percent), prostate cancer (-8.7 percent), stroke (-18.2 percent) and HIV/AIDS (-16.3) while Alzheimers disease deaths rose 46.1 percent.

There are no known genetic factors that can explain the greater prevalence of Alzheimers and other dementias in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites. On the other hand, conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which are known risk factors for Alzheimers and other dementias in all groups, are more common in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites.

Alzheimer Risk Higher Among African-Americans And Hispanics