WASHINGTON, D.C. – One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new report released today. The annual Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report released by the Alzheimer’s Association also estimates that in 2013, 450,000 Americans will die with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, cost of care for Alzheimer’s is projected to balloon from $203 billion in 2013 to $1.2 trillion, 70 percent of which will be covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The latest data underscore the need for an urgent global response, including a strong investment in research, to stop the emerging Alzheimer’s crisis.

George Vradenburg, Chairman of USAgainstAlzheimer’s Action and member of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services released the following statement below in reaction to the report.

"The number of Americans dying with Alzheimer's confirms that this cruel disease is an emerging global killer on the scale of cancer and heart disease.  And the number of those dying of Alzheimer's is rising rapidly and inexorably with the aging of the baby boomers, even as deaths from cancer and heart disease are leveling due to the level and duration of resources committed to combating those conditions.

"Alzheimer's is a cancer-size threat.  Imagine the resources we would mobilize against a national security threat to kill 10 million baby boomers.  Alzheimer's is just such a threat and yet we have no defenses.

"There remains a striking gap between our current investment in Alzheimer's research funding and the resources required to achieve the national goal set by the Obama Administration to stop Alzheimer's by 2025.

"As the Alzheimer’s crisis intensifies, as more people suffer and die from the disease, and as the cost of care explodes, the health and fiscal stress on our nation will become unmanageable.  It is long past time that we strengthen our commitment – nationally and globally.

"We have made similar commitments in the past with deadly diseases like cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS and seen a return on investment leading to viable therapies and treatments and reduce Medicare and Medicaid costs for those diseases. Now is the time to do so for Alzheimer's.”

Earlier this month, USAgainstAlzheimer’s announced the convening of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEOi), a private-sector initiative designed to collaborate with the public sector, non-profit community and academia, to mount a global action plan to address the Alzheimer’s crisis. USAgainstAlzheimer’s has also urged Congress and the Administration to significantly increase funding for Alzheimer’s research.

For more information about USAgainstAlzheimer’s or to speak to George Vradenburg, please contact Kyle Moler at [email protected] or 202-478-6173

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USAgainstAlzheimer’s Action is a 501(c)(4) national advocacy campaign and advocacy network committed to stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020. An independent non-profit organization working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s community, USAgainstAlzheimer’s Action works to stop the disease by advancing policies that support research for a cure. For more information about USAgainstAlzheimer’s Action, http://usagainstalzheimersaction.org/.