Alzheimer’s is a global health problem with more than 6 million people living with the disease in the US alone. Tremendous gains have been made in the understanding of the science and basic biology underlying Alzheimer’s and other dementias. These advances are leading to great strides in strategies for prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions. The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the premier forum in advancing dementia science.
The first-ever county-level estimates of the prevalence of people with Alzheimer’s dementia — in all 3,142 United States counties — were released today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®) 2023, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and online.
Researchers found the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s in the east and southeastern regions of the U.S. The data were simultaneously published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia®: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Kumar B. Rajan, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush Medical College, and colleagues, used cognitive data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) and population estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics (NHCS) to estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer’s in adults 65 years and older in all U.S. counties.
North Carolina County Prevalence
This new data shows every county in North Carolina having a prevalence rate of 8.9 percent or higher in their in their 65+ population.
For counties with a population of 10,000 or more individuals age 65 or older, they estimate the highest Alzheimer’s prevalence rates in North Carolina are in:
- Halifax (15.0%)
- Edgecombe (15.0%)
- Lenoir (14.0%)
- Cumberland (13.7%)
- Duplin (13.4%)
- Wilson (13.3%)
- Wayne (13.1%)
- Sampson (13.1%)
- Granville (13.1%)
- Durham (12.9%)
A full list of North Carolina county prevalence rates can be found here.
The researchers suggest that a specific combination of demographic characteristics may explain the higher prevalence in these counties, including older average age and higher percentages of Black and Hispanic residents. Age is well-established as a primary risk factor for Alzheimer’s. And according to Alzheimer’s Association 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures, older Black Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older White Americans, and older Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older White Americans.
How data can be used
It is the hope of the Alzheimer’s Association that this information will help raise awareness of the urgency of the Alzheimer’s crisis in specific communities. This information may also assist public health programs better understand and pinpoint areas of high risk and high need. Then they can better allocate funding, staffing and other resources for caring for people with Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
“This information has been long-awaited for in North Carolina,” said Katherine L. Lambert, Alzheimer’s Association, Regional Leader for NC. SC & GA. “With this new data, we look forward to identifying our state’s greatest areas of need and working to enhance our our care and support services in those communities.”
The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to advancing public policies at the state and federal level to address the needs of people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
About the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®)
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
Alzheimer’s Association: alz.org
AAIC 2023: alz.org/aaic
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 
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