Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease

About 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Unless a cure or prevention for the disease is found, this number is expected to increase as the population ages. While the disease can occur in individuals in their 30s and 40s, it is most prevalent among older individuals: about one in 10 persons 65 years of age and older and almost half of those 85 years of age and older develop Alzheimer’s Disease. More than 70% of those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease live at home, where the majority of their care (75%) is provided by family and friends. The direct and indirect financial toll of Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. is estimated to be least $100 billion a year.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable, progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease, though, is not just memory loss. It is also a decline in the ability to think and understand. Consequent changes in personality are accompanied by an inability to function. The type, severity, sequence and progression of the mental changes vary widely among individuals. While it most frequently affects older individuals, Alzheimer’s disease is not a part of normal aging.

What are the symptoms/warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease?

Symptoms/warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease can include the following:

• memory loss or unexplained confusion that interferes with daily activities
• difficulty in performing familiar tasks and chores
• problems speaking, understanding, reading or writing
• forgetting words or substituting inappropriate words
• disorientation to time and place (e.g., getting lost in familiar surroundings)
• poor or decreased judgment (e.g., wearing a winter coat on a hot summer day)
• problems with abstract thinking (e.g., difficulty balancing a checkbook)
• misplacing things in inappropriate places (e.g., putting the iron in the freezer)
• changes in mood or behavior (e.g., rapid mood swings for no apparent reason or cursing)
• drastic changes in personality (e.g., suspiciousness)
• lack of interest and involvement in usual activities

If several of these symptoms/warning signs are present, the person should be evaluated by a physician. Frequently, the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, which include forgetfulness and loss of concentration, are mistakenly dismissed as normal signs of aging.