(ABC) -- An estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. A study in the journal Neurology makes some grim predictions about the future of the disease, which robs people of their minds.
Researchers studied records of nearly 11,000 patients 65 and older who were examined every three years, screening for dementia. They project that by the year 2050, the number of U.S. Alzheimer’s victims will more than double to 13.8 million.
The authors point to the aging baby-boom generation and they warn the rising tide of Alzheimer's will be a huge burden, not just for parents, but for their caregivers and the U.S. health system.
They say the time to prepare is now, with more research for new treatments.
