Up to five-percent of people age 70-years and older could develop a certain type of memory loss every year.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota say that's much higher than originally thought, and the number goes up to seven-percent for people 80-years and older.

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, is defined as having memory loss that's more severe than occasionally or regularly losing your car keys, slower thinking and a reduced ability to learn.

Those memory problems could include missing regular appointments or other activities.

MCI is also a first step toward Alzheimer's Disease.

Study leader Dr. Ronald Peterson says if you consider the number of baby boomers heading into this age range, there could be a "significant number of individuals" with a chance of becoming cognitively impaired in the very near future.

If no cure or treatment is found to delay the onset of Alzheimer's, Peterson says the health care system is going to be overwhelmed.

Peterson delivered the findings to the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.