The Alzheimers Conditition - What to do?
In only a very short space of time, Alzheimer’s disease has become a major player in diseases affecting the elderly; currently the most prevalent type of age related dementia affecting the elderly today. Alzheimer’s is estimated to affect 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 causing problems with the memory centers of the mind, causing people to forget short and longterm memories.
Diagnosis of the condition has improved dramatically and is now approximately 87 - 94 percent accurate. Alois Alzheimer a German physician first discovered the disease back in 1906 but it has only really been in the world’s focus for just over 30 years; despite a great deal of scientific investigation, not that much is known about this awful disorder.
Studies show that your greatest risk of acquiring Alzheimer’s is advancing age. The problem of early diagnosis is often down to the sufferer, who refuses to admit that anything is wrong even when they start to experience some of the symptoms; this can be difficult for friends and relations who do not know what the problem is, or what actions or care they should take.
Like other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is currently treated exactly the same as. There is no permanent treatment for the condition, but studies have shown there are a number of drugs which can help with the condition. Donepezil, Tacrine, and Rivastigmine are three drugs that have been approved for use in treating Alzheimer’s by the American Food and Drug Administration; improvements have shown to help the average sufferer’s cognitive abilities by up to six months.
Another drug, Memantine, a relative of the older anti-influenza drug Amantadine, is proving successful at slowing down the mental decline of sufferers; it is now usually prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients who are already using Donepezil. Memantine is the first medicine to show such positive results with sufferers with few problems associated with its use; because four fifths of it is passed out in urine unchanged by the kidneys, patients do not risk having their bodies retaining it in large quantities.
Owing to an increase in the life span of people around the world, Alzheimer’s disease has become a major health issue; this disease is now the fourth largest cause of death in America alone. The economic cost of treating and providing care for those with this type of aging disease another issue to be addressed; the annual cost of treatment and care for sufferers is in excess of 40 billion dollars annually, and is expected to rise well beyond this in the future.
This is destined to create financial problems everywhere, and the cost of care and treatment is only expected to rise in the future. According to the National Institute on Aging, nearly half of its annual budget is spent on research into this awful condition; there are currently hundreds of substances being tested for treatments around the world.
One way to help lower the risk of dementia and one that you can have responsibility for is to change how you live by eating healthily and taking regular exercise. Studies have also indicated that a number of Alzheimer’s patients have reduced their rate of decline by staying healthy and happy. At the moment, the disease is still primarily affecting the aged; however, there have been incidents where a younger person has contracted the disease although it is hoped these will not increase
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