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Review
. 2012 Aug 1;2(8):a006239.
doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a006239.

Epidemiology of Alzheimer disease

Richard Mayeux  1 , Yaakov Stern
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of Alzheimer disease

Richard Mayeux et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. .

Abstract

The global prevalence of dementia has been estimated to be as high as 24 million, and is predicted to double every 20 years until at least 2040. As the population worldwide continues to age, the number of individuals at risk will also increase, particularly among the very old. Alzheimer disease is the leading cause of dementia beginning with impaired memory. The neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease include diffuse and neuritic extracellular amyloid plaques in brain that are frequently surrounded by dystrophic neurites and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles. The etiology of Alzheimer disease remains unclear, but it is likely to be the result of both genetic and environmental factors. In this review we discuss the prevalence and incidence rates, the established environmental risk factors, and the protective factors, and briefly review genetic variants predisposing to disease.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The annual incidence rate (per 100 person-years) for Alzheimer disease. This graph is an estimate of the data collected in 24 published studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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