Rising costs & rising numbers of Alzheimer's cases

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Alzheimer's disease affects more than five million people in the U.S. alone. It's also the sixth leading cause of death in the country.

Right here in Houston there are 115,000 people living with the illness, and that number will go up in 2018.

A report by the Alzheimer’s Association says Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia cost the U.S. health care system more than $259 billion in 2017, and that number may increase to $1.1 trillion by 2050.

On the Factor to talk about this is Dr. Richard Elbein, the chief executive officer with the Alzheimer’s Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter.