World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st of each year, is a day on which
Alzheimer’s organizations around the world concentrate their efforts on
raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease
is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs
mental functioning.
Every 68 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. At current
rates, experts believe the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s
will quadruple to as many as 16 million by the year 2050.
Alzheimer’s disease is often called a family disease, because the
chronic stress of watching a loved one slowly decline affects everyone.
5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease
is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only
cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be
prevented, cured or even slowed. With the increases in life spans and
baby boomers coming of age, support for Alzheimer’s research is more
critical to our families than ever.
