New study ranks Alzheimer’s as third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer --- Alzheimer’s disease likely plays a much larger role in the deaths of older Americans than is currently reported, according to a new study that says the disease may be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists Alzheimer’s as the sixth leading cause of death, far below heart disease and cancer. But the new report, published Wednesday in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that the current system of relying on death certificates for cause of death misses the complexity of dying for many older people and discounts the impact of Alzheimer’s. -- While the CDC attributed around 84,000 deaths in 2010 to Alzheimer’s, the report estimated that number to be 503,400 among people 75 and older. That puts it in a close third place behind heart disease and cancer, and well above chronic lung disease, stroke, and accidents, which currently rank third, fourth, and fifth. -- Alzheimer’s is somewhat of a “sleeping giant” compared to other leading killers that have received more funding over the years. While deaths from these diseases have been going down thanks to better treatment and prevention, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is quickly rising, and the disease is always fatal. -- Over 5 million people in the U.S. are currently estimated to have Alzheimer’s, and with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation this number is expected to nearly triple by 2050 if there are no significant medical breakthroughs, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. -- The disease cost the nation $210 billion last year; that rate is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion by 2050. “Scientists told us we need $2 billion a year over the coming ten years” to see significant advancement in treatment and prevention, said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs & outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association. NIH funding for Alzheimer’s in 2012 was around $500 million, far below funding for heart disease and cancers. -- “We would like to see a response that is commensurate with the problem,” Fargo said. “Alzheimer’s disease is a serious disease and it needs to be taken seriously, and if we have the right kind of investment as a country, then we will be able to make strides similar to what we’ve made in heart disease, HIV, and cancer.” - More, Tara Bahrampour, washingtonpost, at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-study-ranks-alzheimers-as-third-leading-cause-of-death-after-heart-disease-and-cancer/2014/03/05/8097a452-a48a-11e3-8466-d34c451760b9_story.html?hpid=z2