Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50-70 percent of cases.¹
In 2007, an estimated 5.1 million Americans had Alzheimer’s disease. The number includes 4.9 million people age 65 and older.(ibid)
Nearly half of the people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease.(ibid)
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease may also live 8-10 years and even up to 20 years from the date of diagnosis; the costs to families can be staggering.
In 2000, there were an estimated 411,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease. That number is expected to increase to 454,000 new cases a year by 2010, 615,000 new cases a year by 2030 and 959,000 new cases a year by 2050.¹
Direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, amount to more that $148 billion annually.¹
Alzheimer’s disease affects entire families — Of the approximately 5.1 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, more than two-thirds live at home, cared for by family and friends.
With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease rising, many more families will be required to take the caregiving role.(ibid)
Almost 10 million Americans are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease.(ibid)
On average, each week a person with Alzheimer’s disease receives about 47 hours of care from a family caregiver, compared to about 33 hours for an individual with physical problems.³
The total estimated cost to employers for full-time employee’s with intense caregiving responsibilities is $17.1 billion.⁴
The economic value of unpaid care in the nation was valued at $83 billion in 2005, based on their hours of care.¹
Over 40 percent of Alzheimer’s disease caregivers report high levels of emotional stress due to the nature and duration of the disease.¹

1. Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer’s Association. 2007.
2. Demographic Profile – A Series of Demographic Profiles. Metlife.
3. The Metlife Study of Alzheimer’s Disease: The Caregiving Experience. MetLife Mature Market Institute. August 2006.
4. The Metlife Caregiving Cost Study: Productivity Losses to U.S. Business. MetLife Mature Market Insitute. July 2006.