The Numbers Tell the Story

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, Alzheimers.net, Facts & Figures, Research, Washington

Tags

alzheimers, alzheimers research, alzheimers statistics, dementia

Thank you to our friends at Alzheimers.net for sharing this infographic that so simply, yet powerfully, illustrates the inequitable distribution of research funding. Consider the fact that our government is spending over $200 billion annually on care for Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia, while the funds allocated for research equate to less than 1% of that number.

Bear in mind also that the recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology estimates total annual deaths resulting from Alzheimer’s and other dementias are likely over 500,000, which puts it right behind heart disease and cancer as the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States.

Alzheimer’s Deaths Grossly Understated

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, Facts & Figures, Prevention, Research, USAgainstAlzheimer's, Washington

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

alzheimers, alzheimers deaths, alzheimers statistics, dementia

#ENDALZ

In 2010, reports indicated there were ~84,000 deaths resulting from Alzheimer’s annually in the U.S. However, a study just published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that number could be understated by over 400,000.

Is it possible that deaths attributed to ALZ actually exceed 500,000 per year? That’s SIX times the original estimate. Watch this report from NBC News to find out why there is such a huge discrepancy.

If these new numbers are accurate, it would mean Alzheimer’s is the THIRD leading cause of death in the United States, behind only cancer and heart disease. Did you know cancer receives $5.7 billion in annual funding compared to $550 million for Alzheimer’s.

Click here to tell Congress a cancer-size problem requires a cancer-size response.