Hawaii Alzheimer’s Patient Count Expected to Increase 20%
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by damage to nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Neurons are essential to thinking, walking, talking – really all areas of human activity. The majority of people who develop Alzheimer’s are 65 or older. The greatest risk factors are age, genetics, and family history. Scientists believe Alzheimer’s can begin 20 years or more before memory loss and other symptoms develop. An estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s – which is one of the 15 leading causes of death in America.
To determine the states where Alzheimer’s rates are expected to soar in the next two years, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the projected increase in the number of Americans 65 and older with the disease between 2020 and 2025 in every state from the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s disease Facts and Figures report. The share of the population that is 65 years or older in each state came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.
