Whenever we answer the question “What do you do for a living?” we invariably get two responses. The first is “Oh, how sad. That must be hard work. I’m so glad there are people out there like you who folks can turn to for help.” The second response is “Why are there so many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease these days?”
While it can be difficult, we find it extremely satisfying to help families and provide jobs for caregivers called to do this kind of work. The focus of today’s column however, is to try to address the question about why Alzheimer’s disease is such a growing problem.
The term Alzheimer’s disease was first used in 1910 after Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered shrinkage and abnormal deposits in the brain upon doing an autopsy of a woman who had profound memory loss. In the late 1960s researchers developed assessment tools to determine mental and functional decline in older adults. Advances in technology allowed scientists to study brain cells in detail and observe during an autopsy similar changes in the brain of those with memory loss.
In 1974 the National Institute on Aging established federal funding for Alzheimer’s research. The Alzheimer’s Association was founded in 1980 to advance research, support those affected by the disease and promote brain health. Efforts by the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association have increased our awareness of the disease as a nation.
In the 1960s and 1970s, scientific research and discoveries had not yet hit Main Street. When an elderly person seemed confused, we called them senile. Like other mental illnesses, families would try to keep it hush-hush and help their loved one in the privacy of their own home. In the rare case a diagnosis was made, there were no medications or treatments available.
Fast forward to the current decade and you will find people to be much more forthcoming about illnesses, age-related or otherwise. The generation of baby boomers, who tend to be vocal about their wants and needs, and demand solutions to their problems, are now dealing with aging parents.
The rise in the number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease cannot be simply attributed to better diagnostic tools and the willingness of people to speak openly about their challenges. While the medical community cannot definitively answer the question either, we believe that looking at risk factors can give us a clue.
The first risk factor is age. The older you get, the greater the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In 1900, 4 percent of the U.S. population was over the age of 65. In 2012, that percentage increased to 13.7 percent. As the population grows, so do the number of Alzheimer’s cases.
Family history of Alzheimer’s is another risk factor, and the risk increases if more than one family member has been diagnosed. There is a genetic component to the higher risk, but researchers are also looking into environmental factors family members share. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, risk genes have been identified that increase the likelihood of getting the disease but do not guarantee it will happen.
Risk genes have been found to be a factor in 20 percent to 25 percent of the cases. Deterministic genes, which directly cause the disease, are a factor in less than 5 percent of the cases.
Other risk factors include diet and exercise, low mental stimulation, and social isolation. It is no secret that Americans could improve their nutrition, increase physical activity, and limit watching TV and other passive brain activities.
It makes sense to propose that as the risk factors are present in a greater population in America, so does the incidence of Alzheimer’s.
Senior Living is written by Dr. Arlen Burger and Mary Burger of A Brand New Day Assisted Living, license 455001567. Email seniors@abrandnewday-redding.com. Call 223-1538.
0 comments:
Post a Comment