Healthy Habits: Dementia Stats by State

 

A new study finds Minnesota is the No. 26 state most impacted by dementia. Eight of the 10 most impacted states are in the Southeast and six of the 10 least impacted are in the Northeast.

Americans impacted by Dementia know how debilitating it can be physically, emotionally, and financially. An estimated 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s – the most common disease that causes dementia -- and that number is expected to swell to 13.8 million by 2060.

Alarmingly, the mortality rate for Alzheimer’s is up 72% since 2000, while mortality rates have decreased for other leading causes of death such as cancer, stroke, COPD, and heart disease.

The U.S. is investing billions of dollars in search of a cure, but dementia is not yet preventable, which begs the question, why are certain regions of the country more impacted than others?

Seniorly today released a study on The Dementia Crisis: A State-by-State Look using the most recent data on dementia from the CDC and Alzheimer’s Association.

The rankings were determined by analyzing factors such as mortality rates, rates of cognitive decline among seniors, the percentage that need help with daily activities, and annual Medicaid costs.

5         Key Findings:

 

1.       Minnesota No. 26 Most Impacted State: Alzheimer’s is expected to increase 21.2% by 2025; 11.1% of seniors show cognitive decline; 16.2% need help with daily activities; the Alzheimer’s mortality rate is 33.1 per 100,000; and the average annual Medicaid cost for dementia is $9,141.

 

2. Top 5 Risk Factors for Dementia: High blood pressure (49.9% prevalent in people with dementia), Lack of exercise (49.7%), Obesity (35.3%), Diabetes (18.6%), Depression (18%).

 

3. Impact on Family Caregivers: The value of unpaid caregiving is $340 billion, 58% of family caregivers report extreme stress, 47% less sleep, and 43% feel isolated.

4.       10 Most Impacted States: Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

5. 5 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Risk: Exercise, eat healthy, moderate drinking, maintain social relationships, and exercise your brain (crossword puzzles, sudoku, learning a new language).