A Long Haul: Defining Alzheimer's disease - The Sentinel

Questions remain as to what causes or treats Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit that generates awareness of the disease, said it is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, though those who are diagnosed tend to live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others.

Survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions. However, there is currently no cure for the disease.

With no cure in place, Joel Kroft, executive director of memory support services at Country Meadows Retirement Communities in Hampden Township said people tend to fear the diagnosis because it is a terminal illness.

Kroft explained that Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, which is more an umbrella term for any kind of permanent cognitive loss. The loss of any kind of cognitive ability is only a symptom of the disease, much like a runny nose is a symptom of a cold, Kroft said. So dementia is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder,” Kroft said. “And so, it is a disease that we really don’t understand very well, but we understand that it’s destroying the brain. At the cellular level of the brain, cells, which are called neurons, are being destroyed and that impacts our ability to function. Progressive means that it continues on, it doesn’t just have a little damage ... it continues on until it kills the individual.”

The Alzheimer’s Association said the disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Alzheimer’s is not the only form of dementia that is progressive, but it is the most prevalent, Kroft said. There are many events that can cause dementia, such as prolonged alcohol use and head injuries, but none of the other forms of dementia have a good outlook, he said.

“People are trying to shy away from Alzheimer’s disease, but most dementia (have) a very poor outcome,” Kroft said.