Hang On for Dear Life

Nearly everyone knows an elder person who displays the symptoms of dementia:

Memory loss.

Trouble finding the right words.

Problems planning and carrying out tasks, such as balancing a checkbook, following a recipe, or writing a letter.

Trouble exercising judgment, such as knowing what to do in an emergency.

Trouble controlling moods or behaviors. Depression is common, and agitation or aggression may occur.

Not keeping up personal care such as grooming or bathing.

(Graphic from California Alzheimer's Disease Centers)

Alzheimer's Disease is the primary cause of 60%-70% of dementia cases. The cost is very high, not only to the patients themselves, but also to the loved ones who look after them:

America...spent $109 billion on dementia care in 2010. The burden imposed on family and friends adds about half as much again, and the figures are set to soar over the next 25 years.

One leading theory postulates that Alzheimer's is caused by the buildup of "plaques" or "tangles" that block signals between brain cells. However, not everyone who displays symptoms has plaques, nor is the presence of plaques a surefire indicator of Alzheimer's. Like cancer, Alzheimer's appears to have multiple causes:

The only thing that can definitely be said to cause Alzheimer’s is the presence of a clutch of rare genes, but this applies to under 5% of known cases. All the rest are a result of some combination of genes, poor diet, lack of exercise, hypertension and probably a number of other things yet to be discovered.

The physical declines that come with age are inevitable, but what many of us--including your humble observer--fear the most is the loss of mental function.

But there is hope: given the progress that medicine has made in other areas, the question is not if Alzheimer's and other causes of dementia will be cured, but when. The trick for us is to stay alive long enough to let the technology catch up.