Among 192 countries that have been assessed for how much of the current population is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the United States ranked third following Finland and Iceland, according to the data collecting body World Health Rankings.
In the U.S. itself, Alzheimer's disease is also one of the leading causes of death, ranked sixth in a list that includes heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic disease, and accidents, respectively. This condition that affects over 5 million people in the country is, statistically, the fifth leading cause of death for older Americans aged 65 and above. With no apparent cure, health officials are distressed with data showing how there could be nearly 13.8 million Americans to be inflicted with this degenerative disease by the year 2050. At the moment, it is estimated that a new case of Alzheimer's develops within an average of 67 seconds, with an anticipated increase of one every 33 seconds within the next several years. With numbers such as these, it is no wonder that this progressive neurological disease has health officials fearing for the very fabric of American health, society, and economy.
The scientific community has been working tirelessly to discover a way to slow down the progression of this condition as well as trying to identify preventive measures that might avert future cases. Currently, scientists only have a theoretical understanding of Alzheimer's disease, but there are certain defined parameters of the disease that have been laid down as well. It is caused, primarily, by aging. As the brain ages, it begins to develop plaque and beta-amyloids on its tissues. There have also been findings suggesting that the apolipoprotein, or APO E4 allele, could be an early indicator of the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
These are some of the most prominent indicators of the disease based on evidence gathered from brain imaging and other tests conducted on affected patients. Scientists believe that studying these indicators further will help give the medical community more insight into the disease.