Yuma County (3TV/CBS 5) – Arizona has the fastest growing Alzheimer’s and dementia cases in the country, according to a new study.
The researchers presented their findings last month at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia. The study found that Yuma County had the highest rate of Alzheimer’s disease in Arizona.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. 1.4 million of them live in Arizona.
“Of the more than 43,000 people in Yuma County over the age of 65, 13.3% have Alzheimer’s disease. Hartford said.
Hartford said there are two main factors behind the rise in these numbers. Arizona has a large elderly population, and Yuma County has a large Hispanic population.
“Hispanic-Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than whites. there is,” he said.
Overall, more research is needed, he said. “This is a crisis, a crisis with Arizona at its epicenter. But we are also at the heart of the solution.”
Just this summer, the FDA approved the first Alzheimer’s disease drug intended to slow its progression. He is just one domino in a series of solutions.
Hartford said there is also a shortage of medical professionals. “In Arizona, statewide, he has 90-plus geriatricians. That’s not enough.”
Many of the patients seeking care live in rural Arizona and often have to travel to Tucson or Phoenix to get the care they need.
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