The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease now tops seven-million for the first time, including more than 62,000 Iowans, and a new survey finds people’s impressions of the disease are changing. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter, says nearly four in five people surveyed would want to know if they had the disease before it impacted their lives, and she says we’re moving closer to having a widely-available test.
The survey found a vast majority of respondents would also want treatment, even if it comes with risks, as long as it slows the progression of the disease, and Livingston says the price of those medications is coming down.
More than 30 people are undergoing treatments with the preventative medications at Broadlawn’s Medical Center in Des Moines, and she says all indications are, they’re having success with little trouble from any side effects. The survey found four in five Americans believe new treatments to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s will emerge in the next decade, and 66% believe new treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s will be available soon.
While more than 62,000 Iowans are living with Alzheimer’s, the report also says they have over 80,000 caregivers who provide 118-million hours of unpaid care each year, valued at $2.7 billion. The association’s full 2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report is online at www.alz.org/facts.
