Posts Tagged ‘Alzheimer’s disease’

There are an estimated 5.4 million American’s who live with Alzheimer’s disease, and while most people get it after age 65, there is a percentage of people who start suffering early, in their 40s and 50s. Would you recognize the symptoms if they started occurring?

This article lists 9 signs of the onset of Alzheimer’s, and while there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, the sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner you can slow its progression. Below are a few of the signs:

1. Memory loss – This is the hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s but, it is specifically short term memory loss that can signify Alzheimer’s. Not being able to recall recently learned information, such as the name of someone you just met, could be clue. Also if you begin to forget significant dates and events, ask for the same information over and over again, and are dependent on your reminders to get through your to-do list, these could be signs of Alzheimer’s.

2. Inability to judge distance – You find yourself slamming on the breaks at a traffic light to keep from hitting the car in front of you. Alzheimer’s can disrupt your brain’s ability to judge spatial relationships, mess up your understanding of what you see, and throw off your sense of time and space.

3. Loss for words – You may call a watch a hand clock, struggling to find the right word. Alzheimer’s causes you to have trouble expressing your thoughts, finding the right words, or following a conversation.

4. Less social – When group activities that used to be enjoyable no longer are appealing or fun, this could be a sign of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s affects how you interact with people, as well as causing you to become more easily upset, slightly depressed, and anxious or fearful for no specific reason.

View the full list of signs HERE.

A study in the world of Alzheimer’s disease has yielded new information. Research done with mice suggests that abnormal tau protein, already identified in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s, spreads through the brain like an infection or cancer, starting in one area of the rain and spreading along linked cellular circuits.

The study suggests that if the “tau pathway” could be identified early, doctors might be able to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s at an earlier stage with the right drugs. READ MORE

With this information in mind, take a look at the petition that Alzheimer’s Association has put together “A Petition for a Strong National Alzheimer’s Plan” . The goal is to get 250,000 signatures to get a federal commitment “to change the course of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Do you think this is a realistic goal? Do you think it will be effective?

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