A story on the steadily rising death rate from Alzheimer’s disease quoted Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology. The data on death rates was included in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and was the first to provide county-level rates for deaths caused by Alzheimer's disease. 

Noting that the disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the US, Dr. Carlsson said, “That deaths are increasing is important. It shows that we haven’t made much progress in Alzheimer’s prevention or effective treatment.”

Dr. Carlsson said that work at UW-Madison is focusing on finding a cure and developing treatments to reduce disease impact or delay its onset. 

“If we can live to be five years down the road and not have memory problems, that’s going to get us another high school graduation, and another wedding, and another important milestone in our family’s lives,” said Dr. Carlsson. 

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Resources:

• "Alzheimer's disease deaths rise 55 percent in last 15 years," WISC-TV, May 39, 2017
• "US Death Rates from Alzheimer’s Disease Increased 55 Percent from 1999 to 2014," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 25, 2017
• UW Initiative to End Alzheimer's