A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease may lead to half a million deaths a year, a figure that would put it right below heart disease and cancer.
Last year, 83,000 deaths were attributed to Alzheimer's, landing it at sixth place on the list of America's top killers. However, the researchers involved with the study found that death certificates commonly underreport deaths from Alzheimer's and dementia and instead tend to list the more immediate causes of death, such as pneumonia or heart attack. Alzheimer's, as an underlying cause of death, is frequently left off the death certificate.
Based on their findings, the researchers estimate that Alzheimer's could overtake cancer as a leading cause of death within the next 20 years.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
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