Every 70 seconds...

Someone gets Alzheimer's Disease.  That's what I read today on billboard on 95 in CT.  I also noted that there will be a "Memory Walk" to help raise money for research which is good to know.  I feel that I do have a vested interest in learning all I can about the disease.  It's hard to focus on so many causes...it's depressing.  I like to focus on what I think I can help change in the world: maternity care, families, children, and the environment. But I digress .:)  My point is that Alzheimer's is the fastest growing disease with the least amount of exposure, or research dollars behind it. And so I ask myself why aren't we talking about this problem? (The fact that there IS a billboard, and now a Memory walk to raise funds is not lost on me).  The baby boomers are fast approaching "old" age, so this problem will probably touch everyone of us in some way or another. So let's just face it and be real, we will be the care takers.  Let's learn more, do more, and know more. 

The statistics are staggering for Alzheimer's!  First off let me say that they don't know how or why one gets it, they don't know how to prevent it, there is no current treatment, and of course- no cure.  It's rare that one is diagnosed before the age 40, but the youngest to be diagnosed was 27!  Here are some facts and figures, taken from http://www.alz.org/ :

• It currently impacts 5.3 million Americans and this figure will double by 2050
• It costs $172 BILLION annually
• From 2000-2006 alzheimer's disease deaths increased 46%- it's now the 7th leading cause of death
• It affects more women than men
• It is estimated that between 2000 and 2025 the growth of Alzheimer's will exceed 80% in some states

According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia which is a loss of both social and intellectual abilities that interfere with daily functioning.  The brain tissue simply degenerates and one losses the mental abilities over time.  It usually starts with memory loss, and inability for abstract thinking, and articulating.  Routine tasks become more difficult to complete, judgement and decision making becomes impaired.  They may start exhibiting personality changes, marked by mood swings, withdrawal, distrust in others, depression, anxiety, aggression, and increased stubborness.

So why this post? Well, it's kind of threefold.
We have a loved one in our family afflicted with this disease, and I have since discovered the troubling statistics.  I saw the billboard today, which put it in the forefront of my mind, and someone asked in the blogger/facebook world "In your opinion, what are some very wide-spread problems that people don't ever talk about or don't know how to talk about?"  Alzheimer's was the first thing to pop into my head.  So, instead of hoping that this great blogger chooses my topic, I decided to write about it myself.

Resources:
http://www.agingcarefl.org/caregiver/alzheimers/whatis
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161
http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/

Peace,
Stacie