What is the Prognosis for Alzheimers Disease?


Unfortunately, even with modern day medicine, the prognosis for Alzheimers disease is that it is an incurable, degenerative disease. However, according to recent studies there are variations in the prognosis of different patients. In fact, a patients symptoms are indicative of their prognosis.

Symptoms that May Indicate a Shorter Survival

There are certain symptoms that may indicate a person will have a shorter lifespan than other Alzheimers disease patients. Some of these indictors include: unsteadiness when walking; incontinence of urine; poor test scores on mental acuity tests; rapid decline during the first year they are diagnosed; wandering behaviors; and preexisting conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Women also have a longer survival rate than men do when it comes to Alzheimers disease prognosis.

Treatments and Their Effects on Alzheimers Disease Prognosis

There are treatments for Alzheimers disease that may help those affected to retain their mental acuity longer. These treatments are generally seen as more effective when they are started at the earliest stages of the disease. Some treatments are relatively simple such as increasing the amount of time you walk per day. Other treatments may come in the form of medications. Whether or not a person is given certain medications or other treatments is dependent on their Alzheimers disease prognosis and its current stage. Treatment may also vary depending on the patient and their familys wishes.

There are several different medicines that can be used to combat Alzheimers disease. Two of these are Aricept and Namenda. Although these medications may not improve a persons long-term Alzheimers disease prognosis, they can improve the amount of time the person is able to stay reasonably mentally acute.

Aricept Aricept is one type of a cholinesterase inhibitor that is used in the treatment of Alzheimers disease. It is also the most common. This type of drug is used to stop the breakdown of cetylcholine. This is a chemical in the brain that is used for mental functions and plays a role in memory functions. Although this drug does not cure Alzheimers, it may help to improve mental acuity and function in some patients. This medication is used in all levels of Alzheimers disease including mild, moderate, and severe.

Namenda Namenda is a drug that works differently than other Alzheimer medications. It works to regulate a chemical called glutamate in the brain. This chemical regulates what other chemicals and minerals are allowed to enter brain cells. In a person with Alzheimers disease, their brains produce too much glutamate. By regulating this chemical, a person may have increased ability to process information and regulate memories.

Alzheimers Risk Factors

It is indeed a touching letter and the public should be glad that Reagan had the courage to go public with his condition.

The Alzheimers caregiver should try to schedule the activities at a time when the patient is usually calm and agreeable. Knowing what Alzheimers is, is the first step. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made during Alzheimers disease end stage. You also want to try and eat a diet that is low in cholesterol, saturated fat, sugar and salt, and high in dietary fiber, such as oats and beans, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other complex carbohydrates. In 1993, researchers found a medication that will help to slow the early stages of Alzheimers, called Cognex. It is indeed a touching letter and the public should be glad that Reagan had the courage to go public with his condition.

The disease itself is frustrating and stressful, leading to depression for many.
It strikes at a much younger age and is generally more easily diagnosed. There are new blood tests that can test for an Alzheimers gene with certain strains of Alzheimers. the answer is usually just as confusing as the disease itself. This is a great way to eliminate some known products that dont work, while finding some great ones you may have never found otherwise. Since most of the patients are unable to communicate their needs, or complaints, reliance on these groups as well as visiting family members, makes it all that more important to carefully research Alzheimers nursing homes prior to placement of a loved one.

However, it most commonly begins when a person is in their 50s.
There are many studies that reveal that as many as fifty percent of errors made by the medical fraternity can be attributed to mistakes made when admitting or discharging a patient, and with the help of Alzheimers medical alert bracelets patients can be assured of not becoming victims of such costly medical errors. Recognizing the Alzheimers stages is the first step in managing this illness. It will be difficult even for yourself to gage this as the development can vary by as much as 2 decades. Although in some rare cases there are actually none at all, in most cases you will notice certain symptoms and so you should always keep an eye out for these types of signs and symptoms when you are older, especially if you are over the age of sixty.