A report has showed that only 40% of people with Alzheimer's disease or their caregivers were told the diagnosis by their doctor. The new Alzheimer's Association 2015 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report was released today, revealing that Alzheimer's or their caregivers were confirmed about the diagnosis of the disease only after it had become more advanced.

The association said that this is a very big concern as the delay in diagnosis negatively affects the decision making of patients about care plans. Also, it may diminish legal and financial issues and ability of patients to participate in research.

Health care providers do not disclose an Alzheimer's diagnosis to prevent the patient from going through emotional distress. The new report has showed that it's an unnecessary fear as few patients face the risk of depression or have other long-term emotional problems after having been confirmed the diagnosis of the disease.

A better insight has been provided by the 2015 Facts and Figures report into the prevalence, incidence, mortality and economic impact of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The report has showed that an estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease in 2015, including 210,000 in Illinois. By 2050, the numbers are expected to reach 13.8 million.

In 2015, nearly 473,000 people age 65 or older are estimated to have Alzheimer's in the US. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. The cost to deal with Alzheimer's disease in 2015 is estimated to be $226 billion. Medicare and Medicaid will have to bear $153 billion of that amount.

The Alzheimer's Association has said that it very important to tell the person with Alzheimer's the truth about his or her diagnosis and it should be made a standard practice.