Des Moines, Iowa — The Alzheimer’s Association is releasing its first-ever nationwide report, offering a county-by-county breakdown of the prevalence of that form of dementia, including in all 99 Iowa counties.
According to the report, the average Alzheimer’s prevalence rate in Iowans age 65 and older is 11 percent. Brianne Fitzgerald, a senior director with the association’s Iowa chapter, says two rural counties topped the state’s list.
By comparison, the nation’s highest incidence of Alzheimer’s is nearly four points higher at 16-point-six percent with a three-way tie between Miami-Dade County, Florida; Baltimore City, Maryland; and Bronx County, New York. None of Iowa’s 99 counties made the national top 20, but the news from the report wasn’t all good.
The report shows what appears to be a higher prevalence for Alzheimer’s in Iowa’s northwestern counties, with lower rates in eastern Iowa. Fitzgerald says they’ll be studying this map carefully.
Researchers found the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s in the east and southeastern regions of the U.S.. There are varied levels of Alzheimer’s spread across Iowa, but Fitzgerald says there are theories about why there appears to be a higher prevalence in northwestern Iowa.
Here are the Alzheimer’s prevalence rates for the seven Iowa counties with the highest number of residents age 65 and older:
· Polk (68,200) – 10.5%
· Linn (38,000) – 10.8%
· Scott (29,800) – 10.9%
· Black Hawk (22,900) – 11.1%
· Johnson (19,700) – 10.1%
· Dubuque (18,200) – 11.1%
· Pottawattamie (17,200) – 10.5%
“We have so many ways for people to get involved, learn more information,” Fitzgerald says. “We have a 24/7 helpline for people who really want to learn more about the disease and chat with somebody, maybe about their concerns or concerns of a loved one, and that’s 1-800-272-3900.” It’s estimated there are 66,000 Iowans living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and another 98,000 Iowans are their caregivers. For Iowans who want to learn more, they can visit the webpage alz.org.
