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May 11, 2006 at 07:20 AM
Alzheimer’s disease is approaching what could be a “perfect storm” of a national crisis, one expert says.
There has been an epidemic rise in the number of cases of Alzheimer’s, with the number affected growing by 500,000 in the past 5 years to an estimated 4.5 million to 5 million people, notes David Shenk, author of “The Forgetting. Alzheimer’s: Portrait of an Epidemic.”
With the front edge of the boomer generation approaching age 65, that number could mushroom to 15 million by 2011, he warns.
Speaking at a media teleconference sponsored by MetLife Foundation, Shenk warned that the crisis could be worsened by widespread ignorance about the disease. That fact was emphasized by a new Harris Poll survey, released during the teleconference by MetLife, showing 74% of Americans admitted knowing little or nothing about Alzheimer’s. Yet 35% knew someone who had the disease, the survey found.
At the same time, Americans fear Alzheimer’s more than any disease save cancer, the same survey found. That fact could add to the gathering crisis, Shenk said.
