Alzheimer's disease and related dementias state policies and mortality in the United States: A descriptive study

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) were the sixth leading cause of death among people aged 65 + in 2022 and are currently the leading cause of disability and morbidity in older adults. In 2025, an estimated 7.2 million Americans aged 65 years and older were living with Alzheimer's disease (AD), with prevalence projected to rise.ObjectiveWe describe 1) the trends in the adoption of ADRD policies that were implemented in the U.S. from 2008-2020, as well as 2) the trends in ADRD mortality during 1999-2022.MethodsWe presented mortality data for the age-adjusted rate of ADRD mortality per 100,000 people in 1999-2022 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER). We also collected policy data from state websites from 2008-2020.ResultsPolicies were implemented for all 50 states, starting in 2008 and ending in 2020. ADRD mortality steadily rose during 1999-2022. The first states to implement ADRD in 2008 were Iowa and Kentucky. The largest number of states added policies in 2013. South Dakota, Wyoming, Ohio, and Kansas were the last states to implement policies.ConclusionsOur study documented that all the states in the United States implemented a policy to reduce ADRD cases. We also observed that ADRD mortality steadily rose between 1999 and 2022. This rise may reflect increased reporting of ADRD as a cause of death, or policies needing more time to meet national reduction goals.