Report: The number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will almost triple by 2050

The government-funded report projects the Alzheimer's cases will rise from 5 million to about 13.8 million, thereby straining the nation's health care system.

Los Angeles Times: Alzheimer's Cases, And Costs, Projected To Swell
As baby boomers enter their golden years, the number of people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease is expected to reach 13.8 million by 2050 - millions more than previously anticipated, according to a new study in the journal Neurology (Serna, 2/6).

USA Today: An Alzheimer's 'Epidemic' Could Hit The USA By 2050
A new government-funded report confirms what advocacy groups have been warning for years: The number of people in the USA with Alzheimer's disease will almost triple by 2050, straining the health care system and taxing the health of caregivers. Numbers are projected to rise from about 5 million now to 13.8 million. The disease robs people of their memory, erases personality and makes even routine tasks like dressing and bathing impossible (Lloyd, 2/6).

In related news -

Reuters: Baby Boomers' Health Worse Than Past Generation's
Members of the baby boomer generation are in worse health than their parents were at the same age, according to a new study. In a large national survey, about 13 percent of baby boomers -- the generation born in the two decades after World War Two -- reported being in "excellent" health in middle age, compared to 32 percent of the previous generation who said the same at the same stage of life (Seaman, 2/6).