This figure is more than that of Parkinson's disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis combined. These large and increasing figures translate into a large burden on the health care system. Even when using the most conservative estimates of the average number of years spent in an institution and the number of afflicted Canadians, the costs to health care are immense. There have been many studies that conclude that the number of incidences of AD is on the rise. A very high incidence was reported in a U.S. survey conducted in East Boston by the Harvard Medical school.
AD is a democratic disease.
It affects persons of both sexes and all races and ethnic backgrounds. The major risk factors for AD are age and heredity. Persons with a high incidence of AD in their family history are most succeptable. A specific subtype of AD exists that is solely connected to heredity. FAD is also known as Early Onset Alzheimer's disease, named so because its symptoms start to develop much earlier than in the regular sporadic type.