The East and Southeast have the most Alzheimer’s cases, new US study finds

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A new study offers the first-ever county-level estimates of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States.

It shows that the East and Southeast have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia, which researchers say may be due in part to the higher percentages of older adults and black and Hispanic residents in those areas. regions.

“These new estimates add more granular data to our understanding of the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease across the country,” said Kumar, professor of internal medicine at Rush Medical College in Chicago. “This information, in addition to raising awareness of the Alzheimer’s crisis in specific communities, can help public health programs better allocate funds, personnel, and other resources to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s and other dementias.”

Data comes from the Chicago Health and Aging Project and US government population estimates.

The highest rates of Alzheimer’s, in counties with 10,000 or more seniors, were in Miami-Dade County, Florida; City of Baltimore, Maryland; and Bronx County, NY, with 16.6% each.

Close behind were Prince George’s County, Maryland, at 16.1%; Hinds County, Mississippi, 15.5%; Orleans Parish, Louisiana, 15.4%; Dougherty County, Georgia, 15.3%; Orangeburg County, California, 15.2%; and Imperial County, Ca. and El Paso County, Texas, each 15%.

Age is one of the main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Older black Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias as older white Americans. Older Hispanic adults are about 1.5 times more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias than older white people, the study authors noted.

“Estimates are based on cognitive and demographic characteristics,” Rajan said in an Alzheimer’s Association press release. “Alzheimer’s dementia is a multifactorial disease involving multiple risk characteristics that interact with demographic risk factors and ultimately contribute to prevalence.”

About 6.7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. The West and South West are expected to see the largest percentage increase between 2020 and 2025.

“Estimates of Alzheimer’s disease prevalence can help federal and state public health officials determine the burden on the health care system, and county-level estimates help us better understand and identify high-risk, high-need areas – where, for example, culturally sensitive health support and caregiver training services are needed,” said Matthew Baumgart, vice president of health policy for the Alzheimer’s Association. “As the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease increases, so does the need for a larger workforce trained in the diagnosis, treatment and care of those with the disease.”

The findings were presented Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association’s international conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and simultaneously published in Alzheimer’s and dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

SOURCE: Alzheimer Association, press release, July 17, 2023

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