30 days, 30 facts: facing Alzheimer’s head-on

We think we know about Alzheimer’s… but what if you discovered that there is much more to it than you imagine? This September, as part of World Alzheimer’s Day, we present “30 days, 30 facts”: a proposal that, day after day, will bring to light surprising and revealing facts about the disease, its symptoms, and the urgency of research.

Because Alzheimer’s is much more than a disease: it is a social, economic, and human challenge that affects us all.

The social cost and the investment gap

Alzheimer’s is the chronic disease with the highest social cost, but it receives ten times less investment in research than other diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. This contradiction has direct consequences: without research, there will be no cure.

In Catalonia, it is estimated that by 2050, one million people will be living with Alzheimer’s. The economic impact will exceed €7 billion per year, a figure that should make us reflect as a society on the urgency of prioritizing this disease on the political and scientific agenda.

That is why we want to highlight the need to invest more in research, support caregiving families, and guarantee equitable access to specialized care.

The importance of early detection

One of the most repeated messages in the 30 facts is the value of early detection. Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed after the age of 75, but more and more cases are appearing at younger ages. Early detection not only opens up opportunities for care, but also allows for earlier access to a specialized diagnosis, the start of therapies, and dignified planning.

We work with clinical and digital tools that make it possible for more and more people to have access to this right: knowing what is happening to them and being able to act as soon as possible.

Women, the great invisible caregivers

Another fact we wanted to highlight is that 67.2% of caregivers are women, regardless of the gender of the person affected. For many, caregiving becomes a full-time job, forcing them to put aside personal and professional projects.

At Ace, we also care for those who care, offering training, emotional support, and practical resources, because we know that the well-being of families is just as important as that of the people affected.

A commitment from Ace

The data shared also reflects our track record over the last 30 years: more than 48,000 diagnoses since 1995, more than 170 international clinical trials in which we have participated, and one of the leading genetic biobanks in Europe. All this with a single purpose: to improve the quality of life of people with Alzheimer’s and their families.

30 days, 30 facts:

1. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect memory:
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that affects memory, language, orientation, and behavior. There is no cure, but every advance in research brings us closer to new answers.

2. The most common form of dementia:
It is the most common type of dementia. In Catalonia, it affects around 90,000 people, and worldwide it accounts for between 60% and 70% of cases.

3. 55 million living stories:
More than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia. Studies suggest that this figure could triple by 2050.

4. A future that challenges us:
By 2050, it is estimated that one million people in Catalonia will be living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Its social and economic impact will exceed €7 billion per year.

5. Early detection changes the future:
Although it is usually diagnosed after the age of 75, it is increasingly being detected earlier.
Early detection opens up opportunities for care.

6. 1906: the beginning of a journey:
It was in 1906 when Alois Alzheimer first described the disease.
More than a century later, we are still researching ways to treat it.

7. Protein accumulations in the brain:
The accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau protein creates plaques that reduce neuron function. This is considered one of the main triggers of the disease.

8. The hippocampus, the epicenter of memory:
The hippocampus and cerebral cortex, key areas for memory and language, are the most affected.

9. Symptoms do not appear suddenly:
Alzheimer’s begins long before the first symptoms appear.
The brain can spend years silently developing the disease before symptoms show up.

10. Small signs, big warnings:
The first signs are small: forgetfulness, difficulty planning, behavioral changes, difficulty concentrating.
They often go unnoticed.

11. The familiar may become unfamiliar:
Disorientation in time and space is a common symptom.
Places and even people that were once familiar may become strange.

12. Aggression is not always present:
Dementia does not always involve aggression.
Symptoms such as apathy, irritability, or mood swings are more common.

13. Reading: a shared refuge:
Reading can continue to be a source of pleasure and connection, even in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.

14. Caring is loving:
67.2% of caregivers are women, regardless of the gender of the person affected. For many people, being a caregiver is a full-time job, forcing them to put other personal priorities aside.

15. Every diagnosis opens up opportunities:
Early detection opens up opportunities: starting treatment, accessing therapies, planning with dignity.

16. A tailored assessment:
At Ace, each diagnosis includes a clinical, neuropsychological, and social assessment. Because every story is unique.

17. Genes, environment, and lifestyle:
There are risk genes in our DNA that, at a certain point in life and when combined with environmental and lifestyle factors, can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, especially after the age of 65.

18. Places to feel supported:
Memory workshops, day care programs, day centers, and day hospitals…
Ace offers spaces where you can feel active, supported, and safe.

19. Body and mind in motion:
Regular physical exercise, combined with cognitive stimulation, is key to maintaining the independence of people with Alzheimer’s. Walking, dancing, or doing adapted exercises helps improve physical and emotional well-being.

20. 48,000 families supported:
Since 1995, more than 48,000 people have placed their trust in the Diagnostic Unit.
Each story reminds us why we do what we do: to care, listen, and support.

21. Stimulation for a better life:
It is important for people with Alzheimer’s to engage in cognitive and physical stimulation on a daily basis. In the Comprehensive Psychostimulation Program (PPI) implemented in our Day Care Unit, we have made this a routine that helps them maintain their independence for longer.

22. Therapeutic apheresis and other innovative treatments:
At Ace, we are researching new avenues of treatment such as therapeutic apheresis, a technique based on plasma exchange, aimed at mild and moderate stages.

23. Without research, there will be no cure:
Since 1996, Ace has participated in more than 170 clinical trials.
Each trial involves years of work, but also new hope for people with dementia.

24. Symptoms that go beyond memory:
More than 40% of people with Alzheimer’s experience psychotic symptoms during the course of the disease.

25. A leading biobank in Europe:
Ace has one of the largest collections of genetic samples from Alzheimer’s patients in Europe. Research is the path to a future where Alzheimer’s is history.

26. Digital science also brings us closer to diagnosis:
Studying biomarkers, genetics, and artificial intelligence allows us to move toward earlier and more accurate diagnosis.

27. Only 1% is hereditary:
Alzheimer’s has a very low familial inheritance rate. Only 1% of cases are hereditary, and to develop the disease, at least one parent and two or more first-degree relatives must have it.

28. Emotional memory is never lost:
At the end of the degenerative process of Alzheimer’s, the patient is left with only their emotional memory, with which they can communicate through a smile, a hug, or a kiss, but without understanding when, to whom, or why.

29. Caring for those who care:
At Ace, we also care for those who care. We offer training, emotional support, legal advice, and resources for everyday life.

30. The big gap in investment:
Although it is the chronic disease with the highest social cost, Alzheimer’s receives 10 times less investment in research than other diseases, such as cancer or heart disease.

A future that challenges us all

World Alzheimer’s Day is a call to action, an invitation to face this reality head-on. Every piece of data shared is a story that reminds us that behind every diagnosis there is a person and a family, as well as reminding us that the time to act is now.

At Ace, we work every day with the hope and conviction that, together, we can move towards a future where Alzheimer’s is history.