Alzheimer's - 5 things to know - U-T San Diego

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness/Family Caregiver Month. Here are five things to know about the disease and its impact.

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that interferes with memory, thinking and behavior. Its symptoms typically develop slowly and worsen over time. Roughly 5 million people are thought to have the disease, a number that’s projected to jump to 7 million by 2025 as the population ages.

The majority of those with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But the disease is not limited to the elderly. Up to 5 percent of those with Alzheimer’s have early onset, which typically appears in someone in their 40s or 50s.

Alzheimer’s is progressive and worsens over time. In the early stages, memory loss is mild, but sufferers gradually lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Those with the disease live an average of eight years after symptoms become noticeable, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on the person’s age and other health conditions.

An estimated 80 percent of those with Alzheimer’s are looked after by unpaid caregivers such as family or friends. Depression is often high among caregivers, but there are resources to help. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-272-3900 and offers coping tips online at www.alz.org. Locally, organizations such as San Diego’s Glenner Memory Care Centers offer adult day-care for those with Alzheimer’s and respite care for their caregivers. Visit www.glenner.org for more information.

Volunteers are needed for clinical trials so researchers can test new ways to detect, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s. Aside from funding, recruiting trial participants — Alzheimer’s sufferers to caregivers to healthy volunteers — is one of the biggest challenges researchers face. Those interested in learning more can visit www.alz.org. In addition, UCSD’s Shiley-Marcos center is one of 35 university medical centers that offers clinical trials organized by the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study. For information, visit http://adrc.ucsd.edu.

Sources: The Alzheimer’s Association; Sharp Behavioral Health Services, San Diego