Written by Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine
In honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, here are ten important things you should know about Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
1. AD is the most common form of dementia; it accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases.
2. Alzheimer’s is #6 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, claiming nearly 500,000 lives each year.
3. More than 5.2 million Americans live with AD. Of those, about 200,000 are under the age of 65.
4. Women are at the epicenter of the disease. In fact, nearly two-thirds of those living with AD are women. Women are also the primary caregivers of patients with AD 2.5 times more often than men.
5. Currently, AD has no cure, but researchers believe you can lower your risk of developing the disease. For starters, AD experts suggest what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. They also recommend staying physically active, following a healthy diet, challenging your brain and enjoying social activity.
6. The strongest evidence links dementia to a lack of education in early life, hypertension in midlife and smoking and diabetes across a lifetime. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and a family history of AD may also affect the chances of developing AD.
7. The global cost of dementia in 2010 (the latest year for which data are available) was estimated at $604 billion. That number is expected to rise to $1 trillion by 2030. These costs include medications, caregivers, lost time at work, hospital stays, nursing home stays and doctor visits.
8. Some of the most commonly seen symptoms at the onset of AD are difficulty learning new information, confusion and mood and behavior changes, such as becoming easily agitated and paranoid. As the disease progresses, some individuals can lose the ability to feed themselves, walk without assistance or carry out simple daily tasks.
9. The disease is not a normal part of aging. Occasional memory problems are normal as one ages, but AD is more than occasional memory loss. If you or a loved one needs help determining if his/her memory loss is normal or if it may be a sign of Alzheimer’s, click here.
10. On average, those with AD live eight years after their symptoms become noticeable. In some cases, however, individuals can survive from 4 to 20 years, depending on their age and other health conditions.
(Sources: Charlene Young, family nurse practitioner at SIU School of Medicine’s Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders and the Alzheimer’s Association)
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