Alzheimer's at a glance

Every 67 seconds, another American develops Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, by the year 2050 it will be every 33 seconds. Here are a few more facts from the association about this heartbreaking illness:

Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, including 200,000 who are younger than 65. By 2050, up to 16 million will have it.

Nearly two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease — 3.2 million — are women.

Women in their 60s are about two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's in the rest of their lives than they are to develop breast cancer.

Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high; more than one-third report symptoms of depression.

About one in every $5 of Medicare spending is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

More than 500,000 seniors die each year from Alzheimer’s. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for those 65 and older.

About 22,000 Idahoans suffer from Alzheimer’s.