7 Things You Should Know About Alzheimer’s Disease

Tyler, Texas (KETK) —The Alzheimer’s Association has released its 2022 annual Facts and Numbers report. It covers many topics on the effects of illness on individuals, caregivers, and the country as a whole.

According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of Americans, and current projections predict that more will be affected. This is just one of many numbers included in this year’s report.

The organization has compiled a list of findings from the 2022 report. This is shown below.Click to view the full report here..

What are the current and future consequences of Alzheimer’s disease?

The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease continues to grow. Currently, an estimated 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 live with Alzheimer’s disease. This is about 1 in 9 people. By 2050, that number is projected to reach about 13 million.

One in three elderly people die of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled between 2000 and 2019.

What is included in the special report attached to this year’s facts and figures?

This year’s accompanying special report details mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the lack of awareness between the general public and primary care physicians regarding diagnosis and treatment. MCI can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, but it is not always the case. It is estimated that 12-18% of adults over the age of 60 may have MCI.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by subtle changes in memory and thinking that are severe enough to be noticed by affected people, family and friends, but may not affect an individual’s ability to perform daily activities. This is not part of normal aging.

Everyone who develops Alzheimer’s disease goes through the stage of mild cognitive impairment, but only about one-third of adults with MCI develop Alzheimer’s disease. And some individuals with MCI can return to normal cognition. Studies that identify which individuals with MCI are more likely to develop dementia are the main goals of current studies and may enable early disease intervention and treatment.

How do you distinguish between MCI and normal aging?

In normal aging, you may forget your name or words, or misplace things. With mild cognitive impairment, people often forget conversations and information they normally remember, such as appointments and other planned events.

Routine tasks such as invoice payments can become overwhelming, making it very difficult to focus on the task and impairing judgment and reasoning.

What are the benefits of knowing that you have MCI?

Distinguishing between cognitive problems due to normal aging, problems associated with a wide range of MCI syndromes, and problems associated with MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease is an individual, family, and physician of future treatment and care. It is important to prepare.

It is important for people who are experiencing changes in cognitive function to seek help as soon as possible for diagnosis and possible treatment. People diagnosed with MCI should be reassessed every 6 months to determine if their symptoms have progressed.

When will new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease be available?

The relatively recent finding that Alzheimer’s disease begins more than 20 years before the onset helps explain why it was difficult to effectively prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. However, advances in science can help identify effective ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Currently, 104 treatments are under development and may approach post-clinical approval review. New advances in the identification of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease that enable early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, allowing affected people to delay cognitive decline and participate in clinical studies of potential new therapies. It gives you the opportunity to work on sexual and modifiable risk factors.

Is there anything I should do to prevent dementia?

Experts believe that, like other common chronic illnesses, most cases of Alzheimer’s disease develop as a result of multiple factors rather than a single cause. The greatest risk factors are old age, genetics, and family history.

The brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s disease are thought to begin more than 20 years before symptoms appear. This means that there is a considerable time frame in which you can intervene in the progression of the disease.

Therefore, age, genetics, and family history cannot be changed, but other risk factors such as physical activity, smoking, education, maintenance of social and mental activity, blood pressure, and diet can be changed to reduce risk. can do. The Lancet Committee on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care suggests that addressing modifiable risk factors can prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases. It has been the subject of much research.