Starting today embattled
families and caregivers can check a new one-stop website — http://www.alzheimers.gov— for
easy-to-understand, up-to-date information about dementia and where to get help
in their own communities. The website is part of an ambitious national plan
to fight Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the
most common form of dementia, a serious brain disorder that
impacts daily living through memory loss and cognitive changes. Although
not all memory loss indicates Alzheimer’s disease, one in ten people over 65
years of age, and over half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
disease usually develop slowly and gradually worsen over time, progressing from
mild forgetfulness to widespread brain impairment. Chemical and structural
changes in the brain slowly destroy the ability to create, remember, learn,
reason, and relate to others. As critical cells die, drastic personality
loss occurs and body systems fail.
Currently, 5.4 million
Americans have Alzheimer's or related dementias. Barring a research
breakthrough, those numbers will rise significantly by 2050, when up to 16
million Americans are projected to have Alzheimer's.
When someone in your family or maybe even a close friend has Alzheimer's disease, you tend to make a concerted effort to gather information on the disease, so that you can decide what you can do next.
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