Oliver: Would you want to know if you were going to develop Alzheimer’s disease?

If you could know that you were going to develop Alzheimer’s disease in the future, would you want to know? After all, the disease for now is an incurable, progressive neurological disease.

That’s one of the questions that were asked of more than 1,700 U.S. adults, aged 45 and older, in a national survey for a report examining awareness and attitudes of early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, tests used to help diagnose it and treatments that can slow its progression.

Nearly four in five Americans would want to know if they had Alzheimer’s disease before having symptoms or before those symptoms started to interfere with their daily activities, according to the survey, which is found in a special report, “American Perspectives on Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Era of Treatment.”

That report accompanies one that comes out annually from the Alzheimer’s Association. The “2025 Facts and Figures” report takes an in-depth look at national and state-by-state statistics on Alzheimer’s prevalence, mortality, dementia care workforce, costs of care and impact on caregivers.

Not surprisingly, as someone who has been a caregiver for those with dementia (first my mother and then my husband), I’ve lived these statistics since 2014.

Here in Illinois, my husband is one of the 250,600 residents aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s. Technically, though, he was diagnosed with the disease in his 50s and has since aged into that category.

In the past year, there were 4,111 statewide deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, and the statewide mortality rate from Alzheimer’s per 100,000 people was 32.6. Alzheimer’s was the seventh-leading cause of death in Illinois in 2022.

On a national level, the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled between 2000 and 2022.

I’m one of the 316,000 Illinois residents serving as unpaid family caregivers. We put in an estimated 488 million hours of unpaid care, which the Alzheimer’s Association values at $12.5 billion.

Caregiving, particularly for those with dementia, is an emotionally draining experience. It’s no wonder that the report found that 29% of caregivers in Illinois have depression and that 64.2% have chronic health conditions.

“This year’s report finds that the impact of Alzheimer’s on Illinois residents and families is significant,” Delia Jervier, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, said in a news release. “Now more than ever, we need to work to advance disease research and treatments that can slow the current trajectory and help all Illinois families affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia.”

To that end, the accompanying survey found that more than 9 in 10 Americans would definitely or probably want a simple test if it were available to allow for earlier treatment and care.

Not surprisingly, more than 9 in 10 Americans also would probably or definitely want to take a medication that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease after a diagnosis.

Additionally, nearly three in five Americans said they would accept a moderate or high level of risk with taking an anti-amyloid medication to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. And nearly 1 in 4 said they would accept high risk.

Despite concerns about insurance coverage of future treatments, 4 in 5 Americans said they believe new treatments to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s will emerge in the next decade, and 66% said they believe new treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s will be available soon.

“The survey underscores the need for advancing new treatments and making early diagnosis easier and more accessible to anyone concerned about their memory and thinking,” Jervier said in the release. “We’re encouraged that the survey finds people want to be proactive in addressing cognitive concerns. That’s a real positive because early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease offers the best opportunity for care, management and treatment of the disease.”

To see the full text of the “2025 Fact and Figures” report, as well as the accompanying special report “American Perspectives on Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Era of Treatment,” visit alz.org/facts.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.