These US States Have The Highest Alzheimer's Disease Deaths

Recent breakthrough in Alzheimer's research like AI model predicting the onset of the condition and a newly approved drug that slows cognitive decline have made progress against a condition that ranked as the 7th-leading cause of death in the US in 2022.

Alzheimer's claimed over 120,000 American lives in 2022, with the mortality rate of 28.9 deaths per 100,000 people, reflecting a nearly 7% decline from 2021, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

1 in 9 Americans aged 65 or older are affected by Alzheimer's, which account to 60% to 80%, roughly around 7 million people. Among this group, it was the 6th leading cause of death in 2022.

With the aging population, the number of Alzheimer’s cases is projected to nearly double to 13 million by 2050. The financial toll will rise as well: without treatment breakthroughs, annual health care and long-term care costs for Alzheimer’s and related dementias are expected to soar from $360 billion in 2024 to nearly $1 trillion by 2050, per the Alzheimer’s Association.

As per the CDC data, here are the list of the highest age-adjusted Alzheimer's death rates from 2022:

10. California

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 37.5 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 17,363.

9. Texas

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 38.8 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 10,427.

8. Georgia

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 39.3 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 4,219.

7. Idaho

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 39.5 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 848.

6. Utah

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 39.8 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 1,057.

5. Louisiana

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 40 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 2,094.

4. Arkansas

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 41 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 1,577.

3. Washington

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 41.6 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 3,695.

2. Alabama

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 42.2 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 2,655.

1. Mississippi

This state has an Alzheimer's death rate at 48.5 per 100,000 people, with the number of deaths recorded at 1,679.

What Is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's is a severe brain disorder of memory loss and confusion. If it is not diagnosed and managed on time, it can also adversely impact one's mental abilities of learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making, and attention.

As per Neha Sinha, Dementia Specialist, CEO and Co-founder of Epoch Elder Care, it is a progressive decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills. It is severe enough to interfere with daily life. "It primarily affects older adults, with Alzheimer's being the most common," she says.

Alzheimer's accounts for 60 to 80% of all dementia cases around the world. It is estimated that the prevalence of Alzheimer's worldwide is around 24 million. Dementia is the general term for a range of symptoms that affect cognitive abilities, while Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.

Shilpi Saraswat, Clinical Psychologist at Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru points out that the main risk factors of dementia are age, genetics, long-term health conditions, lifestyle choices such as smoking or excessive alcohol use, one's gender and cognitive reserve.