Editorial Editorial: Introducing the 2013 Volume of Epidemiologic Reviews on Aging

rates have decreased by 60 % in the United States after accounting for the aging of the population (1). Decreases in mortality rates have resulted in dramatic increases in the population of older adults (those ≥65 years of age), from about 3 million at the turn of the 20th century to over 40 million in 2010 (2). By 2050, the number of Americans 65 years of age or older is projected to more than double to 88.5 million. The baby boomers are driving this increase, with the first of them crossing over the age of 65 years in 2011. Of these 88.5 million older people, 19 million will be 85 years of age or older (2). How do these demographic changes affect the nation’s public health? An estimated 5.2 million older Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and incidence rates are projected to double by 2050 (3). Among Americans, the rate o