Prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia in the 50 U.S. states and 3142 counties: A population estimate using the 2020 bridged‐race postcensal from the National Center for Health Statistics

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundEstimating the prevalence and number of people with Alzheimer’s dementia in 50 U.S. states and 3142 counties can provide a better understanding of region‐specific disease burden.MethodWe utilized cognitive data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), a population‐based study, and combined it with the National Center for Health Statistics (NHCS) 2020 bridged‐race population estimates and determined the state‐ and county‐specific prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia for adults 65 years and older.ResultA higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia was estimated in the East and Southeastern regions of the U.S., with the highest in Maryland (12.9%), New York (12.7%), Mississippi (12.5%), and Florida (12.5%). California and Illinois were also among the 10 states with a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s. U.S. states. California had the highest number of people with Alzheimer’s dementia, with 719.7 (95%CI 665.0, 774.4) thousand, Texas with 579.9 (95%CI 539.9, 620.0) thousand, and Florida with 459.3 (95%CI 422.7, 496.0) thousand. The top 3 counties with the highest prevalence, 16.6%, respectively, were Miami‐Dade County in Florida, Baltimore city in Maryland, and Bronx County in New YorkConclusionThe state‐ and county‐specific estimates could help public health officials to understand the burden of disease (e.g., demand for caregiver counseling and institutional care) and develop strategies for identifying and caring for people with Alzheimer’s dementia