Statement of the Alzheimer's Association on New CDC Mortality Rates

Alzheimer's Association
Wednesday, 27 June 2001

Report shows Alzheimer's increasing cause of death

The June 26 report from the Centers for Disease Control which shows twice the number of deaths from Alzheimer's disease, as previously reported, adds further urgency to this mounting public health crisis and demands an immediate response. At a time when the numbers of other age-related deaths are decreasing, Alzheimer's keeps increasing.

Moreover, the number of deaths attributed directly to Alzheimer's disease is telling only part of the story of the impact of Alzheimer's disease on mortality. Death rates are also increasing for other diseases—septicemia, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease—that are common comorbid conditions in people with Alzheimer's disease. When Alzheimer's is also present, then treatment of these conditions is more difficult and complications more common.

The reported increases in death from Alzheimer's come even before the real epidemic of Alzheimer's hits. Between now and 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer's will increase from an estimated 4 million up to 14 million, as the baby boomers enter the age of highest risk of the disease.

This report is further evidence that Alzheimer's is one of the key public health problems facing the nation and it demands an immediate response.

Congress must invest now in finding a way to prevent Alzheimer's disease in the 14 million baby boomers who are now likely to get the disease. We urge Congress to commit to doubling Alzheimer research funding at the National Institutes of Health to $1 billion, with a $200 million increase this year as a down payment.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org