Suffolk County leads Massachusetts in Alzheimer's cases

An estimated 11.3% of adults ages 65 or older in Massachusetts have Alzheimer's disease, per a new study.

Why it matters: It's critical for public health officials, policymakers and others to have a clear look at the number of Alzheimer's cases in a given area, the authors say.

• That's in part because caring for those with the disease cost an estimated $321 billion nationwide last year, much of which came via Medicare and Medicaid, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.

Zoom in: The researchers found that Alzheimer's is more prevalent in eastern Massachusetts, around Boston and also in the Springfield area.

• As many as 130,000 people in Massachusetts have Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, according to a 2021 state report.
• The report showed those Massachusetts patients are supported by approximately 340,000 family caregivers. The number of patients is only going to get bigger.

What they're saying: "On the current trajectory, Massachusetts will see an estimated 150,000 people living with dementia by 2025," according to the report.

The big picture: The Eastern and Southeastern U.S. have the country's highest rates of Alzheimer's disease, according to the study.