Facts About TBI in the USA

An estimated 1.5 million head injuries occur every year in the United States.*

An estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related TBIs occur each year.*

At least 5.3 million Americans, 2% of the U.S. population, currently live with disabilities resulting from TBI.*

Moderate & severe head injury (respectively) are associated with a 2.3 and 4.5 times increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.*

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adults from ages 1 to 44.*

Brain injuries are most often caused by motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, or even simple falls on the playground, at work or in the home.*

Every year, approximately 52,000 deaths occur from traumatic brain injury.*

Males are about twice as likely as females to experience a TBI.*

The leading causes of TBI are falls, motor vehicle crashes, struck by or against events, and assaults, respectively.*

TBI hospitalization rates have increased from 79% per 100,000 in 2002 to 87.9% per 100,000 in 2003.**

Blasts are a leading cause of TBI among active duty military personnel in war zones.*

Veterans' advocates believe that between 10 and 20% of Iraq veterans, or 150,000 and 300,000 service members, have some level of TBI.^

30% of soldiers admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center have suffered traumatic brain injuries.*** 

 

 

*Langlois, J. ScD, MPH; Rutland-Brown, W. MPH; Wald, M. MLS, MPH;  The Epidemiology and Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Brief Overview; Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 375378 2006

**MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007; 56:167-170

^ Iraq & Afganistan Veterans of America

 ***Emery, Erin; Hidden wounds plague GIs, Denver Post; April 16,2007.

 

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