Doc's Nutrition Depot November Health News Letter

Twenty five years ago, November was designated as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer's. Today as many as 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's can occur as young as age 35, and is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the country. By 2050, 11 to 16 million people will likely have Alzheimer's. Dementia is an acquired syndrome in which intellectual ability decreases to the point that it interferes with daily function. Cases of dementia increase substantially after 75 years of age, making it largely a disease of older persons.

Alzheimer's disease is associated with diffuse neuron injury and death, with characteristic pathologic findings of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Currently, it is believed that there are two major causes of dementia in older persons: Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Reliable estimates of the presence of the various causes of dementia in primary care settings are not available, but the best estimates indicate that approximately 60 percent of dementing illnesses are due to Alzheimer's disease, 15 percent are due to vascular dementia and many of the remainder involve concurrent Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia ("mixed dementia").
Clinically, persons with Alzheimer's disease demonstrate a slow, progressive decline in multiple areas, including acknowledgment and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Behavior disturbances, ranging in severity from repeated questioning to physical violence, are common. The average duration of the disease is 10 years, during which afflicted persons progress from mild memory loss to the need for 24-hour supervision to total dependency and death.


While there is much we don't yet know about Alzheimer's disease, tremendous progress has been made since 1983," said James Wessler, President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association MA/NH Chapter. "In November we focus on raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease and shedding light on the importance of finding breakthroughs in diagnosis, prevention, treatments and, eventually, a cure."
A recent clinical trial was done with vitamin E supplementation. This study supports the consideration of vitamin E supplementation in persons with dementia or those who are at risk for the disease. Dosages of up to 2,000 IU daily are used. Ginkgo biloba extract, which contains antioxidants similar to vitamin E, have been recently reported to delay symptom progression in dementia also. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen also have been associated with a lower incidence of dementia. This lower incidence is due to a reduction in inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease and herbally another great anti inflamatory is a product called Zyflamend by New Chapter.

Family Members who care for persons with dementia should consider asking there physicians about prescribing medication and herbal remedies to slow disease progression. Over the past decade research and innovations in care have increased the options available to physicians who care for demented patients and their families. While no dramatic breakthroughs have occurred, the overall management of dementia is becoming increasingly sophisticated. It is likely that this trend will continue during the next decade.

References
www.docsnutritiondepot.com
AAFP.org
Medicalnewstoday.com