The aging of America and changing demographics around the globe mean that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are likely to double or even triple over the next few decades. The cost in human suffering is incalculable.
Financially, the bill to care for these patients in the United States alone will top one trillion dollars by 2050. Our annual investment in research averages about $400 million and to date there have been no successful treatments, even after decades of research and development.
There probably won’t be enough caregivers to go around given the shifting demographics. Unless there is a concerted research effort to come up with better treatments, this epidemic is only likely to get worse.
That is why it is helpful to know what we can do to lower our likelihood of developing dementia. If you are interested in this topic, be sure to listen to The People’s Pharmacy on Sept. 28, 2013. In that episode (#919), Dr. Murali Doraiswamy shares the latest research suggesting ways we can all reduce our risk of developing dementia.
