New Cases of Alzheimer's and Dementia Continue to Rise, Even in the 'Oldest Old'

- New Research Shows that the Proportion of People with Alzheimer's and
Dementia also Rises in the Oldest Age Groups -

VIENNA, Austria, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The number of people with
Alzheimer's and dementia - both new cases and total numbers with the disease
-continues to rise among the very oldest segments of the population in
contradiction of the conventional wisdom, according to research reported today
at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's
Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090529/ICADLOGO )

Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that the number of people with
Alzheimer's and dementia begins to level off and perhaps even go down a bit in
people age 90 and above, known as the "oldest old." This is the fastest
growing segment of the population in western countries.

"The number of people affected by Alzheimer's and dementia is growing at an
epidemic pace, and the skyrocketing financial and personal costs will
devastate the world's economies and healthcare systems, and far too many
families," said William Thies, Ph.D., Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at
the Alzheimer's Association. "We must make the fight against Alzheimer's a
priority before it's too late."

"However there is hope. There are many drugs in late stage clinical trials for
Alzheimer's that show promise to slow or stop the progression of the disease.
This, combined with advancements in early detection, has the potential to
change the landscape of Alzheimer's in our lifetimes. But we need more funding
for research to see these possibilities through to completion," Thies said.

The research reported at ICAD 2009 includes a study of more than 2,100
individuals age 80 years or older in eight municipalities of Varese province,
Italy, and a systematic review and collaborative analysis of studies reporting
the prevalence of dementia in Europe.

The Monzino 80-plus Study - Dementia Risk Continues to Rise in the "Oldest
Old"
Ugo Lucca, head of the Laboratory of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry at the Mario
Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milano, Italy, and colleagues
conducted a prospective, door-to-door, population-based study of all people
age 80 years or older in eight municipalities of Varese province, Italy,
roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Milan (known as the Monzino 80-plus
Study). Their goal was to estimate the prevalence (total number with the
disease) and incidence (new cases of the disease) of dementia in this
population.

The researchers were able to gather information and an initial dementia
evaluation for 2,138 individuals. The mean age of the population at that first
evaluation was 87.5 years; 74.1% were women. Mean education was 5.1 years, and
mean MMSE score was 21.4. After an average follow-up period of three years, of
the 1,085 survivors non-demented at baseline, 995 were re-evaluated for
dementia.

Prevalence of dementia standardized on the 2008 Italian population was 22.9%
and was higher in women (25.8%) than in men (17.1%). Prevalence increased with
advancing age:
-- 13.5% at 80-84 years
-- 30.8% at 85-89
-- 39.5% at 90-94

-- 52.8% over 94

The estimated annual incidence of dementia standardized on the 2008 Italian
population was 8.6% and was higher in women (9.2%) than in men (7.2%).
Incidence also rose with increasing age:
-- 6.0% at 80-84 years
-- 12.4% at 85-89
-- 13.1% at 90-94

-- 20.7% over 94

"Gathering reliable information on such a large number of the 'oldest old'
makes this one of the largest studies investigating dementia in this age
segment of the population," Lucca said. "This study's results confirm that
Alzheimer's and dementia are very common among the oldest people in society.
We believe this strengthens the need to shift more of the focus of clinical
research to this segment of the elderly population."

According to the researchers, though the rate of women who developed dementia
during the follow-up period was higher than in men in this study, no definite
conclusion can be drawn about this difference because the number of men in the
oldest ages became very small.

Systematic Review of Dementia in Europe - Higher Prevalence in Female "Oldest
Old"
The goal of Dr. Emma Reynish, a consultant geriatrician and coordinator of the
European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium from the VictoriaHospital, Kirkcaldy,
Scotland, UK, and colleagues at the EuroCoDe (European Collaboration on
Dementia) project, was to determine the prevalence of dementia in Europe based
on up to date research findings and including data from Eastern Europe. They
conducted an extensive literature search using Cochrane review methodologies
and compiled a database of all European epidemiological studies in the field
up to the present date. 194 articles were identified by the review and 26
studies met inclusion criteria to participate with raw data in the
collaborative analysis.

According to the researchers, while dementia prevalence rates for all men and
for women up to age 85 confirmed previous findings, age-specific prevalence
rates were higher than previously documented in the female "oldest old" age
groups, rising to over 50% in those over 95 years.

"Our key findings confirmed that age remains as the single most important risk
factor for dementia," Reynish said. "Nevertheless, due to the lack of data in
the oldest old in previous prevalence studies, the prevalence of dementia of
women over the age of 85 had been underreported."

About ICAD 2009
The 2009 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's
Disease (ICAD 2009) brings together more than 3,000 researchers from 70
countries to share groundbreaking research and information on the cause,
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related
disorders. As a part of the Association's research program, ICAD 2009 serves
as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a
vital, collegial research community. ICAD 2009 will be held in Vienna, Austria
at Messe Wien Exhibition and CongressCenter from July 11-16.

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in
Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's
disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and
support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the
promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. For more
information, visit www.alz.org.

-- Ugo Lucca, et al - Risk of dementia continues to rise in the oldest
old:
The Monzino 80-plus Study (Funder: Fondazione Italo Monzino (Milano,
Italy))

-- Emma Reynish, et al -Systematic Review and Collaborative Analysis of
the
Prevalence of Dementia in Europe (Funder: European
Commission,coordinated by Alzheimer Europe)

SOURCE Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's Association media line, +1-312-335-4078, media@alz.org; or ICAD
2009 press room, July 11-16: +43 (0)1 931020 7501