GlobalData epidemiologists estimate that across the US, 5EU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK), and Japan, there were over 10.5 million men and women ages 60 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. Across all markets, the significant majority of those cases occurred in persons ages 80–89 years old.
Figure 1 presents the total prevalent (diagnosed and undiagnosed) cases of Alzheimer’s in the US, 5EU, and Japan by ten-year age groups, in men and women ages 60 years and older, in 2016.
The prevalence of Alzheimer’s increases significantly in older age with the highest rates among those ages 90 years and older, however the greatest burden of disease exists in those ages 80–89 years. Underlying population size and the increasing rates of Alzheimer’s with age largely accounts for this situation. Managing the care of the elderly is already a major point of concern in many countries and as the Alzheimer’s continues to grow, the elderly will require even greater resources to manage their care.
Newly published data from the Global Burden of Disease Study indicate that there were more than 43.8 million people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s, globally in 2016. This is a 117% increase from the estimated 20.2 million cases in 1990. With significant medical advancements and the compression of morbidity, more and more people around the world are living to an age at which dementia can set in.