March 16, 2023 – The variety of Alzheimer's cases within the United States is rising together with the country's aging population, and experts predict the variety of patients will double to almost 13 million by 2050.
About 6.7 million Americans – one in nine people over the age of 65 – are affected by the disease, in response to a recent report by the Alzheimer Association.
However, not enough residents and doctors are having critical discussions about dementia and memory loss. “As a result, a crucial first step towards diagnosis and possible treatment is missed,” the report says.
Alzheimer's is essentially the most common type of dementia and causes damage to the nerve cells within the brain which are essential for pondering, speaking and all human activities.
People are reluctant to have the primary conversation with the doctor because they're afraid of being misdiagnosed, of a major problem appearing or of receiving unnecessary treatment, the report said. People said they'd relatively discuss their concerns with a friend than with a health care provider.
“Better treatment of Alzheimer’s disease requires conversations about memory at the earliest possible time and a knowledgeable, accessible treatment team that includes specialists to diagnose the disease, monitor the disease progression and treat it if necessary,” said Maria C. Carrillo, the association’s scientific director, in a Press release.
“For the first time in nearly two decades, a new class of treatment is available to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease. It is more important than ever that people act quickly if they have memory problems or experience symptoms,” the press release said.
“Everyone is afraid, of course, but when you talk about it, you realize that many people are probably in the same boat,” said Hadi Finerty of the Illinois chapter of the Alzheimer's Association on the Chicago ABC7 News. She also said experts predict a shortage of geriatricians and neurologists. There were 212 geriatricians in Illinois in 2021, she said, and the state will need greater than 500 in 2050 to serve just 10 percent of the population over 65.