The Alzheimer’s Organization announced earlier this month that women are impacted more than men are by Alzheimer’s, both caretakers and patients. Specifically, those over the age of 60 face high risks of being diagnosed with the disease. As high as 1 in 6 women will be diagnosed during her lifetime. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than with breast cancer, a statistic which may shock many.
Among the primary subjects who participated in the study, those in the position of caregiver were greatly impacted by their role. The found female Alzheimer’s caregivers have a 17 percent of developing depression and feelings of isolation compared with just two percent of men. The research study also discovered that 20 percent of females in the workforce compared with just 3 percent of men went from permanent to part-time positions in their jobs so that they could dedicate more time to being a caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient. The percentages of females compared to men in terms of taking a leave of absence or leaving work totally was discovered to likewise be dramatically higher.
Risk factors for the illness include aging and genetics, which are essentially out of a person’s control. The Alzheimer’s Association web site says that even with the maximum in preventative care, at this time, a person may still not be able to manage to avoid getting Alzheimer’s. The best course of action someone can take against this disease, they say, is to stay psychologically healthy and balanced in life, keep low cholesterol levels and eat a low fat diet.
In the study, caregiving for Alzheimer’s was defined as including such tasks as laundering clothes, feeding and diapering. These tasks could last for between four and 7 years, and in some cases, approximately 20 years. In general, researchers found that there are 15.5 million caretakers and 17.7 billion hours of care ongoing in the U.S. For this year alone, the financial toll of the five million Americans who have Alzheimer’s disease is about $214 billion.
In contrast, the effect of Alzheimer’s on men overall has less of an impact. Only one out of 11 men are likely to get the disease and men, overall, are also less likely to be caregivers. Angela Geiger, the spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Association, called women “the epicenter of Alzheimer’s,” as they represent a bulk of caregivers for those diagnosed with the illness. Geiger also noted that heart problem, HIV/AIDS, stroke, and breast cancer are all diseases which have seen a great deal of financial commitment from the government, which has caused a substantial reduction in the mortality rate from these illnesses. Alzheimer’s is currently the 6th leading cause of fatality in the U.S., and Geiger hopes the increase in awareness can also help to secure more funding for research to eradicate the disease.
The Alzheimer’s Organization predicts that if the current trend continues there could possibly be 16 million Americans with Alzheimer’s by 2050, with a price of $1.2 trillion in supplying care throughout the U.S. Advocates hope to raise one hundred million dollars to promote understanding, education and learning, and out-reach programs throughout 2014.
The Alzheimer’s Association says that women are impacted more than men when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. They are working to advocate better funding to find a cure for the illness.
