Women in their 60s are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as they are to be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. They also face a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than men in the same age group. At age 65, a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing this disease is 1 in 6; for men, it’s 1 in 11.
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease—and 3.2 million of them are women. The disease affects not just a woman, but also her family, who often provides caregiving services at home. Caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease rack up an estimated $9.3 billion in increased healthcare costs, which demonstrates the physical and emotional toll the disease takes on them. All of these numbers are expected to increase as baby boomers age.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org/news_and_events_women_in_their_60s.asp