All posts by Tom Savage

Baby Boomers with Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's Disease

Today is our twelfth day of the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Facts and Stats. Future updates will be given periodically and in person during The DADS Project as opportunities present themselves.

As most of us know, the Baby Boom generation is a huge segment of the population. The first baby boomers turned 65 in 2011. If you have been following the updates you know that 65 seems to be a critical year for AD. After the age of 65 our chance of developing AD doubles every five years. Let’s look at the projections for 2030 & 2050 compared to the past numbers for 2000 & 2010.

Year      There were / or Projected to Be …
2000      411,000 new cases of AD
2010      454,000 new cases of AD
2030      615,000 new cases of AD
2050      959,000 new cases of AD

Another stat we have reported is by the time a person reaches 85, almost half of the people 85+ will have AD. In 2014, there were 2 million people in this age range with AD. When the first baby boomers reach that milestone (2031), the number of them with AD is projected to be more than 3 million. By 2050, that number is to swell to 7 million people.

Will you join me in prayer as we work to see prevention, reversal, and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and the various forms of dementia. Please try your best to participate in The DADS Project when one comes near you or lead the way in providing a venue for the 90 minute workshop. One of the blessings of medicine, technology, and nutritional health is longer lives. Let’s do what we can to actually enjoy and remember those extra years before we go to heaven.

Alzheimer’s Disease in America As We Age

Alzheimer's Disease

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that approximately 469,000 people had Alzheimer’s in 2014 and the number of new cases of Alzheimer’s disease increases with age. Here is what the reports seem to be telling us:

  • 59,000 new cases in people 65-74
  • 172,000 new cases in people 75-84
  • 238,000 new cases in people over the age of 85

As experts attempt to forecast the probabilities of future new cases of Alzheimer’s in America and breakdown those numbers by age and sex, here is what they say:

People who are 65
9.1% of men will have AD
17.2% of women will have AD 

People who are 75
10.2% of men will have AD
18.5% of women will have AD 

People who are 85
12.1% of men will have AD
20.3% of women will have AD

At first glace, these numbers do not look encouraging. The good news is, many people will not develop the disease. They must be doing something right or several things right. Another item to note, one reason why the percentage numbers are larger for women compared to men is because many women live longer than men.

May these estimates strengthen our resolve to pray for and seek God for wisdom. I urge you maintain a fresh and daily walk with our Lord and seriously consider putting prevention and reversal actions in place, as they are made available to you. Have a great day!

God’s Love is Unconditional

Thoughts

In Romans 5:8 we find these powerful words, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Most of the relationships we have in life are conditional relationships. This is probably best illustrated in the college & professional sports world. If the coach wins a sufficient number of games, he is the prince who can do no wrong. If he loses too many games, or loses to the wrong team, he is out.

The relationship we have with God is an unconditional relationship. Our fellowship with Him can be marred by sin and disobedience, but our relationship with Him is secure and eternal. That is a key point and one we must nail down. If you confuse the terms “fellowship” and “relationship” please go back and read the previous sentence again.

This is why Paul closes 1 Corinthians 13 with these words: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” As we continue to live the Christian life, we would be wise to continuously reckon on the unconditional love of God.

Some Alarming Stats Across Racial Lines

Alzheimer's Disease

As we have stated previously, there are millions of people suffering and projected to suffer from the various forms of dementia. Approximately 500,000 people a year die from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. There are more non-Hispanic whites living with Alzheimer’s and dementias than any other racial group.

However, a set of statistics I read the other day gives us great pause and concern especially for the Hispanic and African-American communities. The information gleaned tells us older African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s and the other forms of dementia.

Below, you can see a breakdown of the information. As alarming as this seems to be, the information is reported as factual. You can see how the percentages change in three separate racial groups as people age. Information on other racial groups will be reported as I am able to glean the data.

People between the ages of 65-74
2.9% of white people have AD
7.5% of Hispanic people have AD
9.1% of African-American people have AD

People between the ages of 75-84
10.9% of white people have AD
19.9% of African-American people have AD
27.9% of Hispanic people have AD

People ages 85+
30.2% of white people have AD
58.6% of African-American people have AD
62.9% of Hispanic people have AD 

It is my hope and prayer that we will be able to present The DADS Project to all people. Please do what you can to be an ambassador for The DADS Project as I seek to reach all peoples who are projected to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and the other forms of dementia. Thank You!

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