Questions & Answers
1. If a person has Alzheimer’s disease, does that mean that his or her child will also get it?
Not necessarily. Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease strikes early and fairly often in certain families, but there is no consistent predictor of who might inherit an increased risk of the disease.
2. How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?
There are a number of medicines available that may help improve the mental function of people with Alzheimer’s. If these medications are given early enough in the course of the disease, the drugs may enable people to carry out their daily activities and independent living for a longer period of time and may prolong the time that patients can be managed at home. There are also medicines available to help manage some of the most troubling symptoms of Alzheimer’s, including depression and behavioral problems, such as agitation and aggression.
3. Can a stroke result in Alzheimer’s disease?
Possibly. New research suggests that high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure — factors linked to heart disease and stroke — may also increase the risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
4. Does depression in the elderly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
Increased age is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s and depression is a psychiatric complication of Alzheimer’s.
5. Are there lifestyle changes one can make to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
According to a growing body of evidence, risk factors for vascular disease — including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — may also be risk factors for Alzheimer’s and stroke-related dementia. We know that a healthy lifestyle decreases the risk of these serious conditions. Further research will clarify if treatment of these conditions decreases AD.
6. Why is it difficult to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with 100 percent accuracy?
Alzheimer’s cannot be definitely diagnosed until after death, when the brain can be closely examined for certain microscopic changes — plaques and tangles — caused by the disease.
However, after thorough evaluation and a “process of elimination,” doctors today can diagnose what they refer to as probable Alzheimer’s disease with almost 90 percent accuracy
7. Is Alzheimer’s disease preventable?
Alzheimer’s has no known cure, and the secrets to preventing it are not yet known. There is a lot of ongoing research investigating controllable factors (such as lifestyle, or mental training) that show promise for reducing the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s.
8. What’s the difference between normal memory loss due to aging and memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease?
Mild forgetfulness (losing keys, forgetting familiar names) is associated with age-related memory loss. Alzheimer’s causes more serious memory problems which affect one’s ability to carry out everyday life activities, such as driving a car, shopping or handling money. Signs of serious memory problems may include:
• Asking the same questions over and over again;
• Becoming lost in places you know well;
• Not being able to follow directions;
• Getting very confused about time, people and places;
• Not taking care of yourself — eating poorly;
not bathing, or being unsafe.
|
