Research Advocates

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Category: Research Advocates

This category provides Educational Resources for Research Advocates who wish to champion Alzheimer’s Disease Education and solutions for Alzheimer’s patients.

U.S. Dementia Costs to Exceed $780 Billion This Year, USC-Led Research Finds

U.S. Dementia Costs to Exceed $780 Billion This Year, USC-Led Research Finds

Source: USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service
Published Date: April 23, 2025
By USC Schaeffer Center

A new study from the USC Schaeffer Center reveals that the total economic burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the United States is projected to reach $781 billion in 2025. This comprehensive estimate includes not only direct medical and long-term care costs but also factors in lost earnings and diminished quality of life for both patients and their caregivers.

A research team, led by Julie Zissimopoulos, created a special computer model that uses information from national surveys and health records to estimate how much dementia costs each year. This model takes into account the different stages of the disease and looks at how new treatments and care plans could affect costs.

Key findings from the study include:

– Medical and long-term care expenses for dementia patients are estimated at $232 billion for 2025, with $52 billion paid out-of-pocket by patients and families.

– Medicare and Medicaid are projected to cover $106 billion and $58 billion, respectively.

– The decline in quality of life is valued at $302 billion for patients and $6 billion for caregivers.

– Unpaid caregiving accounts for 6.8 billion hours, valued at $233 billion.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the full scope of dementia’s economic impact to inform policies and interventions aimed at reducing this burden. The researchers plan to update these estimates annually to track changes over time.

American Society of Human Genetics Honors Dr. Margaret Pericak-Vance with Lifetime Achievement Award

The annual award recognizes the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics director’s substantial and far-reaching scientific contributions to human genetics.


By Lisette Hilton

Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been honored with the American Society of Human Genetics’ (ASHG) 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Pericak-Vance, who received her award at the ASHG’s annual meeting in Denver on Nov. 7, delivered a moving acceptance speech that touched on major personal and professional milestones. She acknowledged friends, family and colleagues for their support throughout her career.

“Thank you to all of my friends and family and collaborators and everyone who has supported my journey. Without you this would not have been possible,” said Dr. Pericak-Vance. “Genetics is a team science, and we need each other to move the field forward.”

Former winners include Nobel Prize winners Joseph L. Goldstein, Michael S. Brown and Kary B. Mullis, as well as Alec Jeffreys, who established DNA fingerprinting, and physician-scientist Dr. Francis S. Collins, to name a few.

To Learn More, Visit The Millers School Of Medicine

Finding That APOE4 Is Toxic in Alzheimer’s Can Help Guide Targeted Therapies

— Differing risk of APOE4 between ethnic backgrounds also may come into play


By Greg Laub
Interview With Jeffery Vance, MD, PhD

A working group of senior investigators, convened by the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project  (ADSP), has reached a consensus that the APOE4 gene, long debated in Alzheimer’s research, is definitively toxic. This breakthrough not only opens the door for targeted therapies but also underscores the gene’s varying risk levels across different populations.

In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Jeffery Vance, MD, PhD, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, describes the findings from the data analysis and how they might significantly reshape the future of Alzheimer’s treatment strategies.

For the full video and transcript, please visit Med Page Today.

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