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• 2010 Alzheimer’s Association Facts & Figures Report

Today’s release of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report shows that 5.3 million Americans, including more than 45,800 Central New Yorkers, have Alzheimer’s disease. The report also reveals that African-Americans and Latinos are twice as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a significant threat not only for the nation, but also for the people of Upstate New York,” said Catherine James, Chief Executive Officer for Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter. “This disease does not discriminate based on race or ethnicity, nor has it stopped for the recession.”

Disease Prevalence
Based on Alzheimer’s Association studies, 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. This figure includes 200,000 individuals younger than age 65.

“Younger-onset Alzheimer’s is a growing concern,” James said. “These individuals are productive members of the workforce and active members of the community and a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer’s may mean retiring earlier than they had anticipated, or maybe sooner than they could afford to.”

Using the latest population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter estimates that there were 45,836 people living with Alzheimer’s disease in its 14-county area in 2008. This is a 25.78 percent increase since 2000 and a 4.57 percent jump since 2006.

At 11,818, Onondaga County has the largest population of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Oneida (7,393), Broome (6,362) and St. Lawrence (2,637) follow. Chenango County has seen the largest net increase in people with the disease since 2000. Cases in the Southern Tier county have risen 38.92 percent over the past eight years. Oneida (38.81) and Cayuga (37.16) follow.

County	2008	2007	2006	2003	2000	Net Change2000-2008	% Change2000-2008
Broome	6,362	6,276	6,054	5,211	5,114	1,248	24.40%
Cayuga	2,292	2,258	2,208	1,840	1,671	621	37.16%
Chenango	1,499	1,459	1,412	1,178	1,079	420	38.92%
Cortland	1,158	1,144	1,110	918	938	220	23.45%
Herkimer	1,944	1,946	1,909	1,718	1,430	514	35.94%
Jefferson	2,539	2,490	2,397	1,966	2,048	491	23.97%
Lewis	704	687	675	584	516	188	36.43%
Madison	1,665	1,643	1,583	1,329	1,296	369	29.08%
Oneida	7,393	7,273	7,064	6,113	5,326	2,067	38.81%
Onondaga	11,818	11,707	11,364	9,814	8,987	2,831	31.50%
Oswego	2,625	2,592	2,482	2,072	2,155	470	21.80%
St. Lawrence	2,686	2,637	2,559	2,189	2,099	587	27.97%
Tioga	1,259	1,245	1,210	1,041	2,045	-786	-38.44%
Tompkins	1,892	1,864	1,802	1,500	1,738	154	8.86%
Total	45,836	45,221	43,829	37,473	36,442	9,394	25.78%

Impact of Caregiving
With family members providing care at home for about 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the ripple effects of Alzheimer’s disease can be felt throughout the affected person’s entire family. According to Facts & Figures, caregiving is a $9.4 billion industry in New York State. In 2009, 720,796 caregivers, provided 820,842,714 hours of unpaid care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia valued at $9,439,691,215. Only California and Texas have larger caregiving populations than the Empire State.

The economic downturn’s impact on caregiving is noted in a National Alliance Caregiving study cited in Facts & Figures. The survey shows 24 percent of family caregivers report cutting their expenses related to care. Of the 13 percent forced to increase caregiving expenses, the majority reported difficulty in paying for their own needs (65 percent) or saving for retirement (63 percent). Facts & Figures also reveals that more than 40 percent of family and other unpaid Alzheimer and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high, compared with 28 percent of caregivers of other older people.

“The latest Facts & Figures report shows the significant impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the individual, the family, and state and federal government,” James said.

Special Report on Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s Disease
Although whites make up the majority of the more than five million people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, African-Americans and Latinos are at higher risk for developing the disease. African-Americans are approximately two times more likely and Latinos are approximately one and one-half times more likely than whites to develop a form of dementia. There are no known genetic factors that can explain the greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s, however some conditions related to ethnicity may increase the risk. High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, which are known risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias in all groups, are more common among African-Americans and Latinos than in whites.

“The Alzheimer’s Association  is committed to increasing awareness about risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias among all Americans,” said James. “Our programs and services team interacts regularly with Alzheimer’s disease in the African-American and Latino communities.”

Although African-Americans and/or Latinos are more likely than whites to have Alzheimer’s and dementia, they are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis of the condition. Delays in diagnosis mean that African-Americans and/or Hispanics are not getting treatment in the earlier stages of the disease when treatments are most effective and they also miss the opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans.

“Early detection, diagnosis and intervention are vital because they provide individuals the best opportunities for treatment, support and planning for their future,” said James. “We know many families miss the warning signs or mistakenly assume symptoms are a normal part of aging. The Central New York Chapter has worked hard to educate our community about those signs that may actually be cause for concern and warrant medical follow up.”