Home | About NaturalNews | Contact Us | Write for NaturalNews | Media Info | Advertise with Natural News
dementia

Worldwide Cost of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Estimated at $156 Billion (press release)

Saturday, June 25, 2005 by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor | Key concepts: Dementia, Alzheimer's and Disease

Want stories like this e-mailed to you? Click here for free email alerts

Email this article to a friend Printable Version

Summary

The first estimate of the worldwide direct costs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia care was released today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia. As a result, scientists, advocates and those affected by the disease are calling for increased funding for research and support services.

A team led by Bengt Winblad, M.D., Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Chief Physician at the Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge and the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, estimated worldwide direct costs for dementia in 2003 at $156 billion (U.S.), based on a worldwide prevalence estimate of 27.7 million people with dementia.

"This study represents a significant step forward in confirming what we're up against," said William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association vice president of Medical & Scientific Affairs. "Our choice is now clearer than ever. Either increase funding for Alzheimer's disease research to fend off this looming public health disaster, or sit back and wait for it to overwhelm the healthcare systems in the U.S. and throughout the world."

On Tuesday afternoon, researchers attending the Alzheimer's Association Prevention Conference will visit with members of Congress on the Hill to advocate for legislation such as the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act. The bill, named after President Reagan who passed away from Alzheimer's in 2004, authorizes Congress to double federal funding for Alzheimer's disease research to $1.4 billion annually. It would also provide a tax credit up to $3,000 to help family caregivers pay for prescription drugs, home health and day care costs of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

About The Study
The worldwide costs of dementia were estimated from prevalence figures for the different regions and cost-of-illness studies from key countries. The researchers used a model based on the relationship between direct costs of care per demented individual and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in each country. As part of the research, several alternative calculation methods were explored and compared.

"It is of great interest for policy makers to have a view of how costs of dementia are distributed worldwide, and therefore we have tried to make a worldwide estimate," Winblad said. "Since detailed national data are lacking from many countries, we based our cost estimate on an assumed relationship between the GDP per capita and direct costs of dementia care. Such a relationship is known to be valid for overall costs of healthcare."

According to Winblad, the range in the study's sensitivity analysis was $129-159 billion (U.S.). Due to several sources of uncertainty, the range of cost estimates is relatively wide. However, the relative lack of precision should not obscure the fact that these are huge sums of money and, according to current population and prevalence estimates, these sums will continue to grow.

"Dementia care is a mix of formal and informal caregiving and this mix is not uniform throughout the world," Winblad said. "Even among the advanced economies there is a great range in how dementia care is provided, due to differences in family patterns, traditions, economic strength, care organization and financing. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the worldwide costs are substantial and the expected increase of elderly people, especially the anticipated rapid increase in developing countries, presents a great challenge for social and healthcare systems."

Currently, 92 percent of the total worldwide costs of dementia care were found in what the researchers termed "the advanced economies," which contain 38 percent of the prevalence.

Original source:

Details

  • Worldwide Cost of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Estimated at $156 Billion (press release)

Related Articles

Head injuries from war and football may increase dementia risk

Taking Steps to Prevent Dementia in Old Age Is an Important Consideration

Dementia is easily predicted by fundamental health statistics in middle age

Dementia is Reversible, Part II: Natural Remedies

More evidence Alzheimer's and other dementia can be prevented: save your brain by preventing diabetes

How Acetyl-L-Carnitine prevents Alzheimer's disease and dementia while boosting brain function

Popular Topics:

Dementia, Alzheimer's, Disease, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us

Permalink to this article: http://www.naturalnews.com/008870_dementia_Alzheimers_disease.html

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE

Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
  • Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
  • Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
Your Email Address:
Free Subscription Code:
Enter the numbers you see:
100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime.
Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.

Recommended Special Report:

Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta

Read this special report now...

"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com

More on NaturalNews.com:

Streaming Health Ranger Videos
CounterThink Cartoons
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts

Also Posted Today

Beat Disease With Juice Feasting!

NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more.

Own Health Ranger Report Podcasts on Audio CD

Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more.

Featured Videos

Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...

Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...

Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...

Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now...

Free Health Reports!

Amazon Herb Company review
The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance
Pet Food Ingredients Revealed! (shocking)
Medicine From Fish
The Water Cure
The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D

Featured CounterThink Cartoons

Take Your Meds
Raw Milk Police Lineup
Alien mind wipe failure

Health Product Companies We Recommend

Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read.
This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.