Although October has entered our calendars for good, it is worth stopping and summarizing
previous month. In September, as part of the “Colors of Life” project – 2021-1-PL01-ESC30-SOL-
000036535 we were discussing Alzheimer’s disease and the main color was purple. At the beginning
of the month, we have briefly presented what this severe disease is all about. Today we want to present in
in a nutshell the most important facts about it, namely:
- Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease is responsible for 50-70% of dementia cases.
- It is estimated that 1 in 85 people worldwide will develop Alzheimer’s in 2050.
- The course of the disease is different for each patient, so detection and treatment attempts are extremely difficult.
- The average life expectancy of a patient with confirmed Alzheimer’s disease is 7 years.
- Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease of the 21st century. Annual expenses related to it
exceed $ 240 billion. It is estimated that in 2050 this amount will be 4 times higher. - Many famous people fell ill with Alzheimer’s, incl. President of the United States Ronald Reagan, Irish writer Iris Murdoch, footballer Ferenc Puskás, actress Rita Hayworth, actor Charlton Heston, writer Terry Pratchett.
- Almost twice as many women suffer from Alzheimer’s disease than men.
- A person with Alzheimer’s can lose their sense of smell.
