Aging is the primary risk factor for the majority of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease
There are almost 40 million people aged 65+ in the United States and the population of persons 85+ is projected to increase from 4.2 million in the year 2000 to 6.6 million inThe year 2020, which suggests that these neurodegenerative diseases will reach a prevalence of epidemic proportions.
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). There are almost 40 million people aged 65+ in the United States. Statistics predict that if you reach age 65 you can expect to live almost 20 more years. The average age of onset of PD is 60 years. If you are 85 years of age, you have an almost 50% risk of developing AD. The population of persons 85+ is projected to increase from 4.2 million in the year 2000 to 6.6 million in the year 2020. This suggests that these neurodegenerative diseases will reach a prevalence of epidemic proportions.