Approximately one out of every eight baby boomers in theUnited States – or roughly 10 million people – will develop Alzheimer’sdisease, a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association says.
Alzheimer’s has become the seventh deadliest disease inAmerica, according to the report. The association estimates that by 2050 therewill be nearly one million new cases of Alzheimer’s every year. Approximately5.2 million people have the disease in the U.S. currently.
Stephen McConnell, vice president for advocacy and publicpolicy for the Alzheimer’s Association, noted that the disease begins tomanifest around age 65, the same time people become eligible for Medicare.This, he says, will place a huge strain on the program. Three-quarters ofpeople with Alzheimer’s will die in a nursing home or assisted living facility,he said.
