Women and Alzheimer's Disease

By Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's Association

. https://www.alz.org/

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Women and Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease Is a Global Epidemic

Worldwide, at least 44 million people are living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, with at least five million in the United States alone. The number of Americans with Alzheimer's and other dementias will escalate rapidly in coming years as the baby boom generation ages.

By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, from five million to as many as 16 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease.

Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States; however, it may cause even more deaths than official sources recognize. The disease kills more people than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined. Alzheimer's disease is the only cause of death among the top 10 in the nation that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

Women Are At the Epicenter of the Alzheimer's Epidemic

According to the Alzheimer's Association 2014 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, women account for almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease. A woman's estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's at age 65 is one in six, compared with nearly one in 11 for a man.

As real a concern as breast cancer is to women's health, women in their 60s are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's over the rest of their lives as they are to develop breast cancer.

Not only are women more likely to have Alzheimer's, they are also more likely to be caregivers of those with the disease. More than three in five unpaid Alzheimer's caregivers are women and there are 2.5 times as many women than men who provide intensive “on-duty” care 24 hours for someone living with the disease.

Because of caregiving duties, women are likely to experience adverse consequences in the workplace. Among caregivers who have been employed while they were also caregiving

20% of women vs. 3% of men went from working full-time to working part-time while acting as a caregiver.

18% of women vs. 11% of men took a leave of absence

11% of women vs. 5% of men gave up work entirely

10% of women vs. 5% of men lost job benefits

Women's Brains Matter

Women are leaders and influencers in family, community, business and philanthropy. Realizing the impact Alzheimer's has on women and the impact women can have when they work together the Alzheimer's Association has launched a national initiative highlighting the power of women in the fight against this disease.

The Alzheimer's Association My Brain Movement calls on one million women to use their amazing brains to help wipe out Alzheimer's disease one of the greatest threats to women's health.

The My Brain movement is a united commitment to take action and make change for future generations. Learn how you can change the numbers for future generations at alz.org/mybrain.