--- title: Alzheimer's Disease Misperceptions description: Misconceptions are rampant when it comes to cognitive diseases canonical: https://time.com/2897084/80-of-people-mistakenly-think-alzheimers-is-a-normal-part-of-aging/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-19T12:00:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:01:13.620Z article:section: Health og:title: 80% of People Think Alzheimer's Is A Normal Part of Aging. They're Wrong. og:description: Misconceptions are rampant when it comes to cognitive diseases og:url: https://time.com/2897084/80-of-people-mistakenly-think-alzheimers-is-a-normal-part-of-aging/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 80% of People Think Alzheimer's Is A Normal Part of Aging. They're Wrong. twitter:description: Misconceptions are rampant when it comes to cognitive diseases twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 80% of People Think Alzheimer's Is A Normal Part of Aging > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=5f0c5a35-c415-46d6-a273-f749b2fa2d16&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Study: More People Die From Alzheimer’s Than We Thought [Watch (HLS stream): Study: More People Die From Alzheimer’s Than We Thought](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9fyDTyHY.m3u8) (1:22)  _Published 2014-03-06. An irreversible brain disorder that gradually destroys memory and eventually leads to death, Alzheimer’s disease was blamed for more than 83,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2010. But researchers believe the actual number could be six times larger._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 19, 2014 12:00 PM UTC  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 19, 2014 12:00 PM UTC Despite estimates that more than one billion people will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease by 2050, many around the world still don’t understand the disease. In a survey of more than 6000 people from 12 countries, the [Alzheimer’s Association](http://www.alz.org/) says nearly a quarter of responders list Alzheimer’s disease as the condition they most fear getting, behind cancer. Yet in some countries, including India, China and Saudi Arabia, more than 80% believe that the neurodegenerative condition is a normal part of aging, and not an abnormal state of the brain in which plaques of proteins build up and break down nerve connections. At the same time, nearly 40% of people believed that only those with a family history of the disease could be affected. And while the disease is often associated with symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline, it can eventually affect physical functions as well and be fatal in those affected. “Alzheimer’s disease knows no bounds,” Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association said in a written statement about the survey. “Anyone with a brain is at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, so everyone with a brain should join the fight against it.” ## Transcript An irreversible brain disorder that gradually destroys memory and eventually leads to death. Alzheimer's disease was blamed for more than 83, 000 deaths in the US in 2010. But according to researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago, the actual number could be six times larger. The study estimates more than 500, 000 people died from the disease last year. That would put it behind just heart disease and cancer as the third leading cause of death in the US. Cause of death figures are calculated using the cause listed on death certificates. The lead author of the study told CNN, death certificates are well known to under report Alzheimer's and many people don't even realize it's a deadly disease. The more immediate causes of death, such as pneumonia or heart attack, are usually listed, and the underlying causes of death are usually left off. There are an estimated 5 million patients living with the disease in the US. Doctors say that number could triple by 2050, if there are no medical breakthroughs. Actor Seth Rogen spoke on Capital Hill last week about the need for more research funding. It needs to be yelled and screamed to the point that it finally gets the attention and the funding that it deserves and needs. Alzheimer's Association advisory groups estimated it would take $ 20 billion over the next ten years to make a significant difference in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The National Institutes of Health spent $ 503 million in Alzheimer's research in 2012. For comparison, it spent $ 5. 6 billion on cancer research. 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