Even though 26% of Canadians have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and 20% have a friend or acquaintance who has been diagnosed, a recent poll indicates that 3% of respondents had never heard of the illness and 1 in 10 knew nothing about it. Another 15% said they knew a great deal.
When Ipsos–Reid asked Canadians to estimate the percentage of the population aged 65 or older that has been diagnosed with the disease, they pegged the proportion at 19%; the correct answer is about 8%. Respondents with a university degree were more accurate in their prevalence estimate than those with only a high school education (12% v. 21%).
Most Canadians (88%) strongly agree or agree with the statement that, as the population ages, Alzheimer's disease will have a dramatic impact on health care costs. People in the 18-to-34 age group (85%) are slightly less likely than those in the 35–54 (92%) and 55+ (87%) age groups to think that the effect will be dramatic. To prepare for the future, the CMA's General Council recently urged Health Canada to develop a “National Dementia Strategy.”
The majority of Canadians (76%) correctly think that the amount of money spent on Alzheimer's disease research in Canada is somewhat or much less than the amount spent on research involving cancer and heart disease. It is difficult to determine total research spending for different diseases, but a point of comparison is that the Alzheimer Society of Canada spent $3.4 million on research in 2002, while the Canadian Cancer Society spent $47.7 million. — Shelley Martin, Senior Analyst, CMA Research, Policy and Planning Directorate