Alzheimer's costs Americans $277 billion a year, and rising

Sharp increases in Alzheimer's disease cases, deaths and costs are stressing the U.S. health care system and caregivers, a new report reveals. About 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease -- 5.5 million of them aged 65 and older. By 2025, the number of seniors with Alzheimer's could reach 7.1 million, up nearly 29 percent.

And, if no new treatments are found, that number could hit 13.8 million by 2050, according to the new report on Alzheimer's disease facts and figures, published online March 20 by the Alzheimer's Association.

Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, that will occur every 33 seconds, the experts said.

While deaths from other major causes continue to decline, Alzheimer's deaths have more than doubled, rising 123 percent between 2000 and 2015. By comparison, the number of deaths from heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the United States -- fell 11 percent.

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Written by ROBERT PREIDT for CBS News

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