Alzheimer's Statistics Around the
Alzheimer’s disease is a frightening illness. It is incurable,
and it slowly, gradually, and unstoppably ravages a patient’s
ability to communicate, remember events, function in society,
or simply make sound judgments. As a result, the patient will
be dependent on loved ones to gradually take care of her or
him, and eventually a long term care facility with a trained
staff may oversee the care of the individual until the end of
life is reached.
Statistics about this illness abound. Here are but a few
from the United States:
In the August 2003 issue of the Archives of Neurology it was
estimated that more than 4.5 million Americans suffer from
Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, this number is said to have
doubled since the year 1980.
A 1992 Gallup survey of 1,015 Americans revealed that one in
ten had an immediate family member who suffers from the disease
while at least one in three had a friend or acquaintance that
has this illness.
In 1989, the Annals of Neurology reported that it is not
unheard of for individuals in their late thirties or early
forties to be affected by this disease in the form of an
inherited kind of Alzheimer’s disease.
In 1989, JAMA advised that one in ten Americans over the age of
sixty-five, and at least half of Americans aged eighty-five and
older were affected by the disease.
These are sobering statistics indeed, yet one wonders how they
compare around the world. The United States Census Bureau has
released its 2004 research figures, and according to their
data, Alzheimer’s disease is in rapid progression throughout
Central America, as defined by the populations of Guatemala,
Belize, and Nicaragua, show almost 293,000 cases of Alzheimer’s
South American cities, namely Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela made up for almost another 4.5
million individuals affected by this illness.
Australia reports nearly 293,000 cases.
China has nearly nineteen million patients who have been
diagnosed as suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.
It is important to note that the international urbanization of
previously small communities in the developing third world
countries have led to an increase in elderly people living
alone, oftentimes away from the safety net of younger family
member on whom they may have relied in the past for care
giving. This trend will at some add an unusual strain on the
economies of such countries, since suddenly a large number of
individuals will require intensive medical care while nobody is
left or willing to pay for it. A deeply disturbing finding in a
1996 issue of Psychological Medicine found that in such
developing countries elderly patients who suffered from
dementia may have been permitted to die prematurely through the
withholding of adequate care.
It is quite apparent that aging gracefully for many is a myth.
It is equally obvious that Alzheimer’s disease is a serious
threat to the overall well being of the geriatric populations
around the world. Many countries have woken up to the fact that
the elderly live longer, in part because of the leaps and
bounds with which medicine has evolved and diseases are being
cured or prevented altogether.
Caregivers are scarcer to come by than before, since previously
the tight-knit family unit would take care of its own. Due to
the trends of sprawling cities and job opportunities in distant
locations, the young and restless have moved on, leaving behind
the elderly. When these elderly fall ill, it is often not
possible or not feasible to recreate the family units and
therefore private nursing homes are often called upon to
provide the daily care of those who can no longer care for
For those whose health insurance plans do not cover such
facilities, and whose savings are too meager to supplement any
government assistance they may be receiving, public nursing
care is often the only alternative. Sadly, very soon these
institutions threaten to be overrun with those in need of care,
and it is questionable that supply will be able to keep up with
the demand. It will behoove any country to quickly and
decisively take far-reaching measures to ensure the caring of
its growing elderly population so that its social services
funds will not suddenly find themselves depleted.