Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease, the leading cause of dementia, results in a deterioration of thinking skills due to a progressive loss of brain cells. Alzheimer's is a disease that takes over the life of both the person with the diagnosis and the family. It is a difficult disease to conclusively diagnosis and is even more difficult to treat.

Alzheimer's is a frequently occurring disease that continues to increase in prevalence as the population ages. A person diagnosed with Alzheimer's lives an average of eight years, from the onset of the disease, although occasionally survival can be longer than 20 years. Seventy percent of Alzheimer's patients are living at home and/or being cared for by family members.

Scientists are still not sure what causes Alzheimer's. Family history has been identified as a potential risk factor. Researches agree though, that Alzheimer's is most likely caused by several possible factors. There is evidence that vascular problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure increase risk. Age is certainly a factor, since approximately ten percent of people over 65 and as many as 50% of people over 85 have Alzheimer's. In addition, two abnormal structures in the brain have been linked to the disease. These are amyloid plaques (clumps of protein fragments found on the outside of cells) and neurofibrillary tangles (clumps of altered proteins found inside the cells). Research has yet to determine exactly what role these play in the disease.

Alzheimer's can strike someone as early as 30 years old, however most people are diagnosed with the disease after the age of 65. The early onset form of the disease accounts for less than ten percent of all those diagnosed.

Symptoms

Memory loss (specially short-term) of recent events, dates, and names
Difficulty performing familiar tasks of everyday occurrences, such as meal preparation and hobbies
Problems with language; the inability to remember the right word for an object, i.e. they may forget the word fork but refer to it as "the thing that we use to eat with"
Disorientation with time and place, starting to get lost in familiar surroundings
Problems with abstract thinking such as balancing a checkbook
Changes in personality such as becoming easily agitated or suspicious
Loss of initiative, passive about life and disinterested in usual activities

Treatment

Diagnosing Alzheimer's is difficult but can be helped with early and thorough evaluation. There is no single test for Alzheimer's. A comprehensive patient exam and evaluation may include health history, physical exam, mental status testing, blood work, and imaging exams.

There are currently four FDA approved medications for the treatment of Alzheimer's and several other clinical trials are in process. There are also other medications and therapies that can help reduce some of the behavioral symptoms associated with the disease.

Once a person has been diagnosed, early involvement of the patient and the family in education and planning can help ease the long-term burden of the disease.

Support

We encourage you to obtain a copy of the book The 36 Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons With Alzheimer's Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life by Nancy L Mace and Dr. Peter V. Rabins, available at most book stores.

Alzheimer's Association
http://www.alz.org
919 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 1100
Chicago, Illinois 60611-1676
1-800.272.3900

"The Alzheimer's Association is the largest national voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing research for the causes, treatments, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, as well as to enhancing care and support for individuals, their families, and caregivers."

'Vision: Creating a world without Alzheimer's disease while optimizing quality of life for individuals and their families.

Mission: To eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research and to enhance care and support for individuals, their families, and caregivers."

Canton Area Chapter
(Serves Carroll, Holmes, Stark, Tuscarawas, and Wayne Counties)
4815 Munson Street NW
Canton, Ohio 44718
Office hours: M-F, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Please call the national 1-800-272-3900 hotline for all questions about support group in your area. If you are planning to attend any of the support groups for the first time, it is recommended that you contact the Chapter office at the above numbers to confirm the date, time, and location