Alzheimer's disease predicted to increase 600 percent among Hispanics.

Fast population growth and a longer life span will trigger a 600 percent increase in the number of Hispanics with Alzheimer's disease by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

The Chicago association's new report, "Alzheimer's Disease Among the Hispanic Population," predicts that more than 1.3 million Hispanics will have the brain disorder or a related dementia by mid-century, up from 200,000 now.

According to the report, Hispanics' life expectancy will reach age 87 by 2050, making them the longest-lived ethnic group in the nation. Age is the greatest risk factor in developing Alzheimer's, the report states.

As a proportion of the population, Hispanics will increase from 5 percent today to 16 percent by 2050, making them the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. Hispanics also have a high rate of vascular disease, putting them at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's, according to the report.

Alzheimer's Association Senior Vice President Stephen McConnell said the findings "should be a wake-up call to Congress and the nation" because the disease will "overwhelm Hispanic families and their communities unless we take action now."