3.    Many people don’t know they have it.

The most obvious reason for not knowing that you have Alzheimer’s would be that the disease affects memory. However, research shows another concerning reason as to why patients don’t know that they have this disease.

According to Time magazine, surveys shows that many people were never told they had it. The study, spearheaded by the Alzheimer’s Association, examined the Medicare claims of 16,000 patients over a two-year period. Participants were asked if physicians had disclosed an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. When answers were analyzed in comparison to the diagnostic codes used by physicians, only 45 percent reported being told about the disease by doctors.

However, when it comes to other diseases, patients are regularly informed. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that over 90 percent of people diagnosed with the four most common types of cancer are aware of their diagnosis.

4.    It’s more predominant in women than men.

Alzheimer’s is more common in women than men. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association says that nearly two-thirds of Americans affected by the disease are female.

Many people assume that this is because women live longer than men. But another factor may play into this equation.