• Health
  • Science
  • U.S.
  • Technology
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Building a Better World

News and information

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Our Team

Alzheimer’s may be third leading cause of deaths in U.S. according to new study

March 13, 2014 By Contributor

Alzheimer’s may be third leading cause of deaths in U.S. according to new study

Alzheimer's continues to strike victims.

Alzheimer’s disease is believed to play an even bigger role in the death of older Americans than previously believed, according to new study results. If the study results are validated, Alzheimer’s may be the third leading cause of death, ranking among cancer and heart disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently lists Alzheimer’s as the sixth-leading cause of death , well below cancer and heart disease. However, the new report, which was recently published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, highlights the fact the death certificates rarely list the cause of death as dementia, instead listing immediate causes such as pneumonia or that the person’s heart stopped beating.

Nearly half a million Americans are killed by the disease each year. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that is often associated with memory loss and confusion. However, most people do not recognize the extent to which the disease damages the body, such as impairing portions of the brain that control basic functions such as swallowing and breathing.

Although heart disease and cancer remain the top killers in the U.S., Alzheimer’s would jump from 6th to 3rd place, replacing respiratory disease in the process.

Bryan James, lead author of the study and epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says that the findings will hopefully encourage more research on a disease that is only becoming more prevalent as the population ages. He notes that current costs for patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s are around $200 billion.

In a phone interview with Bloomberg.com, he said, “We think Alzheimer’s disease has been getting the short shrift because it hasn’t been considered a major killer, when it’s really one of the top three in the country.”

He continues, “Deaths from all of the other major causes of death are going down over time and the only one going up is Alzheimer’s disease.” James explains, “That’s because we are coming up with effective treatments and preventions for other diseases and we have yet to do that for Alzheimer’s disease.”

 

Sharing

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Filed Under: Front Page, Health, None, U.S.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Facebookrss

Search:

Recent Posts

  • NASA’s InSight spacecraft makes important course correction May 26, 2018
  • Scientists outraged at latest Trump decision May 15, 2018
  • Huge uproar erupts over major incident at Utah park May 13, 2018
  • Incredible moon discovery stuns scientists May 12, 2018
  • Authorities shocked by discovery about common painkiller May 6, 2018
  • Outrageous crocodile experiment stuns scientists May 5, 2018
  • Great Barrier Reef is too quiet, scientists say May 1, 2018
  • Massive Hiroshima bomb discovery shocks scientists May 1, 2018
  • Earth will be slammed by massive asteroid April 29, 2018
  • Teens are doing something incredibly alarming in schools April 29, 2018
  • Huge discovery in Tasmania stuns scientists April 28, 2018
  • Shocking discovery in New Jersey stuns authorities April 22, 2018
  • Huge volcanic explosion could wipe out the United States April 21, 2018
  • Huge controversy erupts over world’s hottest pepper April 15, 2018
  • SpaceX is about to do something astonishing April 15, 2018

Copyright © 2022 Jones Kilmartin Group, LLC · Metro Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress