The rate of commercially insured Americans from age 30 to 64 diagnosed with early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease increased by 200 percent from 2013 to 2017, according to a new analysis from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).
The rate was 4.2 per 10,000 adults in 2013 and 12.6 per 10,000 adults in 2017.
The average age of a person living with either form of dementia is 49. The findings came from a new BCBSA report, “Early-Onset Dementia and Alzheimer's Rates Grow for Younger Americans,” part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Health of America Report series.
These conditions are more common in women, who make up 58 percent of those diagnosed. Additional findings from the study include:
· The number diagnosed with these conditions increased 373 percent among 30- to 44-year-olds, 311 percent among 45- to 54-year-olds and 143 percent among 55- to 64-year-olds from 2013 to 2017.
· Rates of diagnosis were higher in the East, the South, and parts of the Midwest, while western states showed lower rates of diagnosis.
“The increase in early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s diagnoses among a generation who typically wouldn’t expect to encounter these conditions for several decades is concerning, especially since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Vincent Nelson, vice president of medical affairs for BCBSA. “Further education and research are needed to learn more about early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s, how to treat these conditions and what can be done to better prevent diagnoses.”
The study also took a deeper look into early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and found that more than 131,000 commercially insured Americans between the ages of 30 and 64 were diagnosed with the condition in 2017 – a 131 percent jump in diagnoses since 2013.
“Research has shown that Alzheimer’s disease starts in the brain years before clinical symptoms become apparent,” said John Dwyer, president of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation. “This report shows that people as young as 30 have outward symptoms. We need more research to stop Alzheimer’s disease progression in people of all ages.”
An increase in Alzheimer’s diagnoses among younger generations can lead to even greater economic consequences and mental stress for those that provide them care.
Nearly 16 million family members and friends provided over 18.5 billion hours of unpaid care to persons with Alzheimer’s disease in America, valued at an estimated $234 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The report is based on data from BCBS Axis, a database of medical claims from more than 48 million commercially insured members of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) companies, from 2013 to 2017.
