Alzheimer’s surge across America laid bare: Interactive map reveals rise in Alzheimer’s death rates

The deadly wave of Alzheimer’s across America over the past 20 years has been laid bare in a series of interactive maps.

The number of fatalities is up 168 percent, official figures show, from about 44,000 deaths per year in 1999 to 120,000 in 2021, the latest available date.

An aging population and the rise of sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition are all responsible for the increasing numbers.

Every state but one has seen an increase in Alzheimer’s deaths in the two decades leading up to 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mississippi has seen the largest increase in the death rate, tripling from 13.3 to 52.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Only Maine saw a drop, with a seven percent drop over the same period.

Four of the top five states with the strongest increases are in the South: Arkansas (up 191 percent), Alabama (up 162 percent), and Louisiana (up 140 percent).

Hawaii (154.3 percent) was the only state in the top five not in the South.

Southern states have traditionally been less affluent than their northern neighbors and have higher rates of obesity and diabetes, which increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

In Hawaii, the increase is attributed to the growing elderly population.

The cost of living in the state — which last year was ranked the least affordable for retirement — may also be a factor, as it makes people less likely to have health insurance.

Only Maine recorded a drop in Alzheimer’s rates over the past two decades, dropping nearly eight percent from 29.6 to 27.4 per 100,000 people.

It was not clear why this was so.

But the California-based research organization RAND Corporation has suggested that before higher education levels, falling smoking rates and better treatment of cardiovascular disease in developed countries could reduce dementia rates.

There is also the possibility that it is a notification issue.

At the other end of the scale were New Hampshire (up just 1.3 percent in two decades), Maryland (up 4.5 percent), Massachusetts (up 7.3 percent), and Montana (up 16 percent).

Lower death rates from Alzheimer’s disease were also linked to higher living standards, wealth, and healthier lifestyles in the United States.

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition that gradually robs a patient of their memory and personality.

Early warning signs may include poor parking, swearing more than usual, dressing dirty, and handing out free money.

But in later stages, patients may have trouble forming sentences, communicating with others, or remembering recent events.

Billions have been poured into research into the condition, but doctors have yet to find drugs that can cure the disease — or even its cause.

Doctors had previously suggested it was due to a buildup of protein tangles in the brain that affect communication between brain cells.

But more recent research has also suggested that damage to blood vessels in the brain may be a factor.

Doctors say the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

The latest tranche of CDC data for 2021 shows that Mississippi — with the fastest rising death rate from Alzheimer’s disease — currently has the highest death rate in the U.S. at 52.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

Rounding out the top five are Alabama (46.8), Washington (45.5), Georgia (44.5) and Arkansas (43.2).

At the other end of the scale were usually much more affluent northern states.

New York had the lowest Alzheimer’s death rate (13.6) in the country — less than a quarter of the rate in the hardest-hit state.

It was followed by Maryland (16.1), Massachusetts (17.7), Florida (19.6), and New Jersey (20.6).

Florida may be so low on the scale because of its status as a “retirement Mecca” for older Americans, which has improved access to care in the state.

Separate research from the Alzheimer’s Association revealed how many people with Alzheimer’s disease there are by state.

At the top of the table is California, which is also America’s most populous state and one of the top three destinations for older Americans.

Rounding out the top five Alzheimer’s patients were Florida (580,000 people), New York (410,000), Texas (400,000) and Pennsylvania (280,000).

These states all have larger elderly populations and growing elderly populations, which could explain their larger Alzheimer’s patient populations.

At the other end of the scale were Alaska (8,500), Wyoming (10,000), Vermont (13,000), North Dakota (15,000), and South Dakota (18,000).

All of these states are also the five least populous states in the United States, which explains their low numbers for the disease.

In terms of states expecting the fastest growth in Alzheimer’s patients, Arizona led the way, where they are expected to rise 33.3 percent over five years.

Dr. Terri Spitz, the executive director of the Southwest chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said this was due to more older Americans moving to the state.

She said AZCentral: ‘Baby boomers are becoming seniors. This is such a critical issue. It’s a public health crisis in our state.”

Also on the list were Vermont (up 30.8 percent in five years), Nevada (up 30.6 percent), Wyoming (up 30 percent), and Alaska (up 29.4 percent).