Census data suggests that the number of people aged sixty-five or more will triple by 2050. That age group has already expanded by more than double the growth rate for the general population since 2000, and the trend is expected to continue with more Baby Boomers and China s Red Guard generation. Likely with these demographic data in mind, President Obama has said that overhauling Medicare and Social Security is critical.
This is a tremendous demographic shift with significant implications for health care, says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. For one thing, drug companies are going to have to rearrange their priorities to focus on Alzheimer s and dementia research.
For more information, see ACSH s publication on Alzheimer s disease.