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The Intermountain West can expect big surges in the percentage of residents over age 65 with Alzheimer's disease — and a new report says women face the greatest impact.

A woman in her 60s faces a 1 in 6 chance of developing Alzheimer's, according to 2014 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, released Wednesday. Her breast cancer risk is 1 in 11.

Almost two-thirds of the Americans with Alzheimer's today are women.

And there are 2.5 times more women than men caring around the clock for someone with Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association report says.

The fact that women live longer is a clear risk factor, Angela Geiger, the association's chief strategy officer, told reporters in a conference call. But researchers don't yet know whether different brain structures or hormones also make women more vulnerable, she said, one of the reasons more federal funding is needed.

And too many Americans wrongly believe they aren't at risk if the disease doesn't run in their family, she said.

"If you have a brain, you should be worried about Alzheimer's disease," she said.

The new figures are seen as an update to The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's in 2010, done in conjunction with Maria Shriver, Geiger said.

Among caregivers, it found:

• 20 percent of women vs. 3 percent of men dropped from full-time to part-time work.

• 18 percent of women vs. 11 percent of men took a leave of absence.

• 11 percent of women vs. 5 percent of men quit working.

• 10 percent of women vs. 5 percent of men lost job benefits.

To enlist more women in the fight against Alzheimer's, the association aims to have 1 million women visit alz.org/mybrain to write, in 130 characters or less, what makes their brains unique.

Utah leads five states in the Intermountain region that may double the Alzheimer's prevalence seen in 2000, according to the association. From 2000 to 2025, Utah is expected to see a 127 percent increase in the number of residents over age 65 with Alzheimer's.

However, the number of such seniors in Utah by 2025 — estimated at 50,000 — is dwarfed by higher-population states.

The association estimates as many as 16 million Americans will be living with Alzheimer's in 2050, at a cost of $1.2 trillion to the nation, unless its trajectory is slowed.

Today, there are 140,000 Alzheimer's caregivers in Utah, providing 159,000 hours of unpaid care valued at $1.9 billion, the association estimates.

Utah's state plan for coping with the surge in cases of Alzheimer's and related dementias includes recommendations for treatment, support of caregivers and wide education efforts, from the general public to health care providers.

It urges prevention — a brain-healthy lifestyle of exercise, nutrition, activities that engage the mind and social interaction. It also promotes the use of a Medicare preventive care benefit for detecting signs of mental impairment.

Information, assistance and support is available through the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer's Association at http://www.alz.org/utah/. —

Surging Alzheimer's cases predicted in the West

Utah 2000: 22,000 2025: 50,000 Increase: 127 percent

Colorado 2000: 49,000 2025: 110,000 Increase: 124 percent

Wyoming 2000: 7,000 2025: 15,000 Increase: 114 percent

Idaho 2000: 19,000 2025: 38,000 Increase: 100 percent

Nevada 2000: 21,000 2025: 42,000 Increase: 100 percent

Montana 2000: 16,000 2025: 29,000 Increase: 81 percent

Arizona 2000: 78,000 2025: 130,000 Increase: 67 percent

New Mexico 2000: 27,000 2025: 43,000 Increase: 59 percent

Source: Alzheimer's Association —

Help in Utah: Alzheimer's Association

The Utah chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is part of a national network that provides information, assistance, and support at the local level. Alzheimer's disease is estimated to currently affect more than 28,000 people in Utah.

It offers programs and services across an 11-county region. Learn more at http://www.alz.org/utah/.