Alzheimer's prognosis Every third person wants to know

About half of Germans fear Alzheimer's disease

06/02/2014

Alzheimer's today has the status of a widespread disease with around 1.2 million people affected and a drastic increase in the number of people affected is expected for the coming decades. „Accordingly, the concern of the Germans to be affected even at the age of Alzheimer's disease is correspondingly high“, reports the Alzheimer Research Initiative e.V. (AFI) on the basis of a recent representative survey by the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy. However, the actual personal Alzheimer prognosis interests only a minority of the population.

On behalf of the AFI, the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy surveyed 1,507 people aged 16 or older about Alzheimer's disease and found that the fear of the neurodegenerative disease was affecting 45 percent of respondents. „Concern for women is much greater (51 percent) than for men (39 percent)“, reports the AFI. In addition, concern about Alzheimer's is clearly increasing when there is an Alzheimer's disease in the family (66 percent) or in the circle of acquaintances (58 percent). Despite this concern about a disease, many are rather disinterested in the own Alzheimer's prognosis.

Alzheimer's worry grows with age
In general, advancing age is one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. This is also reflected in the results of the current survey. Respondents showed increasing concern about the disease as they grew older. „While not even one in five of the 16 to 29-year-olds (18 percent) is concerned about his or her memory in old age, 50 to 59-year-olds already account for more than half (54 percent)“, reports the AFI. The topic of Alzheimer's is even more present in the 60 to 69 year olds (62 percent) and in the over 70 year olds. Of these, 71 percent fear Alzheimer's disease.

The Alzheimer Research Initiative e.V. (AFI) promotes according to own data since 1995 with donations „Research projects of committed Alzheimer researchers and provides free information material for the public.“ To date, 120 research projects have been supported with more than 6.4 million euros and extensive information materials have been published. (Fp)

Picture: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio