Join Today & Get 4% Cash Back Then 6, 7...Up to 10% Off Reorders!

March 18, 2008, 11:07 am
Flag as Inappropriate knich  

From CBS News:

In its second annual statistical report, the Alzheimer's Association projects that 10 million baby boomers will suffer from the disease.

That's one person out of every eight born from 1946 to 1964, The Early Show medical contributor Dr. Emily Senay pointed out Tuesday.

It is, she observes, actually the flip side of a very positive medical development: Fewer people are dying from heart disease, stroke and conditions such as breast and prostate cancer. If you avoid those illnesses, or beat them through successful treatment, you still have to die eventually of something. And the older people get, the greater the chance they'll develop, and possibly die from, Alzheimer's.

One aspect of the report says that, if they live to age 55, women are nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as men. The report's authors say that's also age-related. When researchers measure the risk of developing Alzheimer's at any particular age, men and women show no real difference, Senay notes. But to the extent that they outlive men, women are considered more likely to develop the Alzheimer's.

The report talks not only about people who suffer from Alzheimer's, but those who care for them.

Very interesting. I wonder why women are twice as likely to develope Alzheimer's as men are.

Very informative.

Here are some easy tips on how to spot signs of Alzheimer's disease:

Memory Loss - If they forget appointments or names

Misplacing Stuff - They may put stuff in unusual places like placing a book in the refrigerator.

Forgetting Routine Tasks - They may forget stuff they do every day.

No Initiative - They may sit in front of the TV for hours or sleep for a long time.

Poor or Lack of Judgment - they may wear warm clothes in the summer or vice versa.

Rapid Behavioral Change - They may become very fearful, suspicious, or extremely confused.

Language Problems - They may forget small or easy words.

Problems with Abstract Thinking - They might forget what numbers are for and how they are used.

Becoming Disoriented - They may forget where they are or what day of the week it is.

I guess according to the article it is kind of a good thing that they are getting Alzhiemers. That means they are old and have avoided all the other illnesses and diseases.

That's one way to turn a negative into a positive :-P

I don't know if I want to die, not knowing who I am though or where I'm at.

That sounds like it could be hell on earth.

I think women are more likely to die of Alzhiemers than men, because women typically live longer than men. The rate of Alzhiemers is increasing because the life expectancy is increasing.

It's very logical if you think about it.

I'm sorry to say, it's never good if you get Alzhiemers regardless of how long you get to live.

Alzhiemers is a devestating illness; specifically, Alzhiemers patients loss their connection with reality. They can't remember, they can't rationalize, they can't critically think or understand. I would rather die earlier rather than later and suffer with Alzhiemers.

It's not just devestating for the patient, but more so for the family.

Having two parents who died from Alzheimer's makes me and my sibblings twice as likely to get the disease. It is difficult to watch someone go through all the stages of Alzheimer's. The first stages are the worst ones for the patient because they know what is happening to them. The later stages are hardest for the family.

My grandmother died of Alzheimers and my Mom has Alzheimers. It's such a sad sight to see someone, who used to be so energized and vibrant, who now justs sits and stares. It almost makes me cry every time I see my mom. I know she'd rather be dead than to be like she is.