It's that time again... another New Year is upon us. I consider each New Year to be a rite of passage and use this time to conduct a thoughtful review of the past year and to establish goals and priorities for the New Year. This year is no exception. The year 2008 was a year of challenges and significant advancements in the field of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. One of the greatest challenges we faced, and continue to face, was a lack of resources and services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their care-givers. Last year in the United States, almost 10 million family members, friends, and neighbors provided 8.4 billion hours of unpaid care to individuals with dementia, and this care is often associated with significant emotional, physical, and financial costs. This burden is expected to multiply. According to the Alzheimer's Association, every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's disease in the United States. As life expectancy continues to increase into the mid-2050s, we will see someone developing Alzheimer's disease every 33 seconds. Worldwide, an estimated 30 million people have some form of dementia, with this figure expected to increase to more than 100 million by 2050. Of special concern is that a significant increase will be seen in developing countries, countries that currently have not developed a strong system of providing support and care to individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
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