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Women bear more of Alzheimer's economic burden

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Alzheimer’s is one of the most expensive diseases in our country—more costly than heart disease or cancer—and women are paying most of the price.

Women bear six times more of the cost of Alzheimer’s care than men, found an Emory study published in the journal Women’s Health Issues. Authors Zhou Yang, assistant professor in Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health, and Allan Levey, chair of the Department of Neurology and director of the Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, used a lifetime perspective to calculate Alzheimer’s costs and looked at three factors: the probability of developing the disease, the disease’s duration, and the formal and informal care needed for the Alzheimer’s patient.

“There is strong evidence that women face higher risks of being affected by Alzheimer’s as either patients or informal caregivers,” Yang says.

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"Study finds women bear heavier economic burden for Alzheimer's care" (9/10/2015)

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