THE SHRIVER REPORT SNAPSHOT: INSIGHT INTO ALZHEIMER'S ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS

The February 2016 WebMD-Shriver Report Snapshot: Insight into Alzheimer's Attitudes and Behaviors is a comprehensive look at our conflicted feelings about the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented or cured.  The survey found that most people do not understand who is at greatest risk for diagnosis with just one-third correctly reporting that Alzheimer's afflicts more women than men, or that the disease more often strikes African-Americans and Hispanics than whites.

Despite a majority of respondents (78%) who said they know or have known someone with Alzheimer's ­and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) who have cared for someone with Alzheimer's, many acknowledged that they have not taken steps to assess their own risk of getting the disease or to prepare for the financial implications of becoming a caregiver.