According to The Alzheimer’s Association, there are currently 5.7 million people living with Alzheimer’s within the US. The same report places Arizona as the state with the second-highest growing statistics for diagnosed Alzheimer’s.

Katie Skvarce, a chapter director of the Alzheimer’s Association, explains there are currently 140,000 people living with the disease in the state of Arizona. According to Skvarce, that number is expected to increase in the next seven years by 43 percent, totally to a projected 200,000 individuals. Not to mention the Medicaid costs in Arizona’s healthcare system. Currently sitting at $364 million (2018), it is projected to also increase in the next seven years by 47.6 percent.

Not only does the disease take a physical and mental toll on individuals, it also has an economic toll on the state. Skvarce claims Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, with 16 million Americans totaling an estimated 18.4 billion hours of care. In Arizona specifically, a total of 330,000 caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients would result in 376 million hours of unpaid care, totaling a cost $4.7 billion.

Alzheimer’s, often referred to as dementia, is a degenerative disease that begins in the brain but can affect many parts of the body. It’s considered a progressive disease, meaning it gradually worsens as time goes on. The disease is often identified by memory loss in the early stages, but symptoms can worsen and even cause people to lose the ability of speech. The disease is currently the sixth leading cause of death, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Nationally, the disease is expected to grow from 5.7 million affected, to 14 million people by 2050. There are currently no cures for the disease.