U.S. death rate from Alzheimer's disease up 55% since 1999

The U.S. death rate from Alzheimer’s disease increased 55% between 1999 and 2014, to 25.4 per 100,000 population, according to a report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Possible reasons for the increase include the growing older population; increases in diagnosis at earlier stages; increased reporting by physicians and others; and fewer deaths from other causes for the elderly, such as heart disease and stroke, CDC said. Just over half (54%) of Alzheimer’s deaths occurred in a nursing home or long-term care facility in 2014, down from 68% in 1999. State death rates ranged from 10.7 to 43.6 per 100,000 in 2014. Counties with the highest rates were primarily in the Southeast, with additional areas in the Midwest and West Coast. Alzheimer’s, a fatal form of dementia, is the fifth leading cause of death among Americans aged 65 years and older.