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Unmet Need

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing healthcare crisis1

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Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops AD, the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States among individuals aged 65 and older.2,3

Bar graph using people icons to show AD growth

Today, 6.5 million Americans over 65 are living with AD. By 2060, this number is projected to more than double to ~14 million.3

Significant gaps remain in the early detection and diagnosis of AD, especially earlier in the disease when symptoms are subtle and are difficult to distinguish from normal aging1

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EVALUATED TOO LATE

AD diagnosis is delayed on average by 2-3 years after symptoms onset, and is often made only in the latter stages of the disease.4,5

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UNDERDIAGNOSED

Over 50% of patients with dementia have never been formally diagnosed—but 89% (N=639) of people surveyed from the US said that they would want to know if AD is the cause of their cognitive impairment.6-8

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MISDIAGNOSED

Nearly 1 in 3 people clinically diagnosed with AD had no evidence of amyloid plaques,* a neuropathological hallmark of AD.9-11

*In a large study using amyloid PET scans.

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“At first, I just thought it was part of growing older, but it kept getting worse.”

AD hides behind time

LEARN HOW

Health disparities for certain populations are well established in AD3:

Nearly 2/3 of Americans with AD are women.African Americans are up to 2 times more likely than White Americans to develop AD.Hispanic Americans are up to 1.5 times more likely than White Americans to develop AD.

PET=positron emission tomography.

References:

  1. Porsteinsson AP, Isaacson RS, Knox S, et al. Diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease: clinical practice in 2021. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2021;8:371-386.
  2. Grabher BJ. Effects of Alzheimer’s disease on patients and their family. J Nucl Med Technol. 2018;46(4):335-340.
  3. Alzheimer’s Association. 2022 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2022;18(4):700-789.
  4. Sabbagh MN, Lue LL, Fayard D, et al. Increasing precision of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a combined algorithm incorporating clinical and novel biomarker data. Neurol Ther. 2017;6(supp1):S83-S95.
  5. Boise L, Morgan DL, Kaye J, et al. Delays in the diagnosis of dementia: perspectives of family caregivers. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Dement. 1999;14(1):20-26.
  6. Lang K, Clifford A, Wei L, et al. Prevalence and determinants of undetected dementia in the community: a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2017;7(2):e011146. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011146
  7. Boustani M, Peterson B, Hanson L, et al; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for dementia in primary care: a summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138(11):927-937.
  8. Blendon RJ, Benson JM, Wikler EM, et al. The impact of experience with a family member with Alzheimer's disease on views about the disease across five countries. Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;2012:903645. doi:10.1155/2012/903645
  9. Rabinovici GD, Gatsonis C, Apgar C, et al. Association of amyloid positron emission tomography with subsequent change in clinical management among Medicare beneficiaries with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. JAMA. 2019;321(13):1286-1294.
  10. Grundman M, Pontecorvo MJ, Salloway SP, et al. Potential impact of amyloid imaging on diagnosis and intended management in patients with progressive cognitive decline. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2013;27(1):4-15.
  11. Jack CR, Bennett DA, Blennow K, et al. NIA-AA Research Framework: toward a biological definition in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2018;14(4):535-562.