AARP Hearing Center
While clinical trial evidence indicates that some dementia medications may briefly address dementia symptoms like memory loss and confusion, these drugs do not affect the underlying cause of the disease or slow the rate of cognitive decline. There is also no evidence of effectiveness beyond one year of use.
Nevertheless, our study found that some adults with dementia incurred costs of nearly $20,000 by remaining on dementia medications for as long as a decade. As much as 90 percent of this spending occurred after drug treatment was no longer supported by clinical evidence.
MORE FROM AARP
Women in Menopause Often Go Untreated
Analyses of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data by NORC at the University of Chicago in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute reveal a low treated prevalence of menopause among women ages 45 to 64 in the United States suggesting that only a small percentage of women who could benefit from effective menopause treatments are receiving them.
