For the first time, nearly four in five Americans say they would want to know if they had Alzheimer’s disease before it impacts their life. That’s according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual report.
Terri Spitz is the executive director of the Alzheimer's Association in Phoenix.
“So, it's exciting that people are wanting to know more,” she said. “They want to get tested. They want to understand the disease better. That helps us help them.”
Specifically to plan. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most expensive medical conditions, costing nearly $400,000 over the course of the disease.
Spitz also talked about the effectiveness of a public awareness campaign that launched last year.
“We've had a 22% increase in our helpline calls, which is a big deal and that's not even covering a whole year.”
In Arizona, about 240,000 caregivers provide roughly 377 million hours of unpaid care each year.
Blood tests are on the horizon, but the only way to diagnose Alzheimer's for certain is with a PET scan or a lumbar puncture.
Spitz called the rise in Alzheimer’s cases a public health crisis.
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