America's Frightening Alzheimer's Epidemic

AlterNet by Rebecca Hyman | May. 16, 2008 (News Report)

One in eight Americans who are 65 years old or older has Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2008 Facts and Figures Report (www.alz.org). By 2030, due to the aging of our population, that number will have doubled to one in four. There's no cure, and no certain evidence that the current medications -- Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda -- which are said to slow the course of the disease, really work. Recent studies pitting ... Full Story »

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by TJ Murphy - Oct. 1, 2008

Alzheimer's is a slow and ugly death sentence for the one in four Americans who will suffer from the disease by 2030, and awareness of the disease and its effects on the victims, their families and society are important. This article blends often reported statistics with a personal look at this medical horror story, and that is good. Where it falls short is in looking at the potential economic costs of the disease on society (going beyond mere dollar costs, which are impressive, but only the tip of the iceberg) or the environmental changes (diet, exercise, mental workouts, and more) that many believe can help forestall or even prevent the disease for millions of victims. This is vital information and could considerably change the currently very bleak picture. Smart people are working on this and it's important to talk about that. For that element, we recommend this news story: http://redwoodage.com/content/view/137051/44/

Right now, a number of prestigious medical institutes are investigating the “Amyloid Hypothesis,” a theory that damage to the brain’s nerve cells in Alzheimer’s is, in part, an effect of a malfunction in the processing of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid.

The story is long on emotion and statistics, but short on the research into avoiding or limiting Alzheimers. Both are important and missing and represent updates on the stale data in the story.