Inside STAT: With Alzheimer's tsunami expected, experts weigh how to shift the tide

(MIKE REDDY FOR STAT)

When it comes to Alzheimer’s, the forecast seems gloomy. In the next 30 years, experts expect the number of diagnoses to more than double — from a little under 6 million today to 13.8 million by 2050. But that widely publicized figure could be subject to a lot of change, especially if any interventions — drugs or lifestyle modifications — are implemented. For an exclusive new deep dive, STAT’s Sharon Begley talked to eight experts to understand how 13.8 million is anything but locked in. New drugs for early disease, new therapies to slow cognitive decline, and adopting healthy lifestyle habits, for instance, could slash that dreaded 13.8 million figure down to 3.1 million. STAT Plus subscribers can read more on the projections here.