Deaths attributable to Alzheimer's disease in the United States

Abstract

Objectives. This study provided 2 estimates of the number of deaths attributable to Alzheimer's disease in the United States. Methods. One estimate was based on data from the East Boston, Mass, study. The second was based on a simulation using population-based estimates of prevalence and separate estimates of excess death by duration of disease. Results. Despite different methods and very different estimates of prevalence, these 2 methods led to very similar estimates of 173 000 and 163 000 excess deaths. Conclusions. These estimates suggest that 7.1% of all deaths in the United States in 1995 are attributable to Alzheimer's disease, placing it on a par with cerebrovascular diseases as the third leading cause of death.