ut one in every 10 Americans 65 and older has the disease (Evans, 1989, p.131). But that overall figure is misleading. According to a large survey of retired individuals, risk of Alzheimer's disease changes considerably during the older years: From age 65 to 74, about 3% of people are affected. From age 75 to 84, the figure rises to 19%, and for those 85 and older, Alzheimer's afflicts 47% (Evans, 1990, p. 4). Currently the U.S. population is aging, with people over 85 becoming the nation's fastest-growing age group. Because this is also the group most affected by Alzheimer's disease, experts warn that unless researchers discover how to prevent the disease, by the year 2050, as many as 15% of those over 65 might have Alzheimer's. These large and increasing figures translate into a large burden on the health care system. Even when using the most conservative estimates of the average number of years spent in an institution and the number of afflicted Americans, the costs to health care are immense. At $33,000 per patient per year in an institution and with an average stay of three years until death, the cost of Alzheimers disease will amount to $3 billion over the next few years; and if the entry into the disease state remains constant, it will cost the American taxpayer [an added] $1 billion per year thereafter (Brassard, 1993, p.11). Alzheimers disease is a democratic disease. It affects persons of both sexes and all races and ethnic backgrounds. The major risk factors for Alzheimers disease are age and heredity. Persons with a high incidence of the disease in their family history are most susceptible. A specific subtype of Alzheimers disease exists that is solely connected to heredity. This subtype is known as Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). FAD is also known as Early Onset Alzheimer's disease, named so because its symptoms start to develop much earlier than in the regular sporadic type. Only 5%-10% of all cases a...
