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Disease
Areas of Focus
 Alzheimer’s
Disease
Alzheimer’s
Disease, a form of dementia, is a progressive brain disease that
destroys memory, thinking skills, and, eventually, the ability
to carry out simple tasks. Approximately 4.5 million people in
the United States have Alzheimer’s. The disease usually
begins after age 60, and risk increases with age. About five
percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have Alzheimer’s,
and nearly half of people age 85 and older may have it. The incidence
is expected to increase dramatically as life expectancy increases.1
Alzheimer’s
Disease is not a normal aspect of aging.1 Thus, scientists are
working to determine the causes as well as the best treatments.
At present, no treatment can stop the progression of the disease.
Yet for some people in the early and middle stages, various drugs
may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited
time.1 Because Alzheimer represents a very significant unmet
medical need, Bristol-Myers Squibb is conducting research on
this highly debilitating and increasingly common disease.
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to Disease Areas
1. “Alzheimer’s
Disease Fact Sheet,” The National Institute on Aging of
the National Institutes of Health, July 2006.
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