Alzheimer’s hitting Canadian seniors hard

Alzheimer’s disease involves the death of neurons (cells that play a major role in brain functioning). Those afflicted with the disease start to gradually lose functions and skills such as memory, reasoning, language and judgment. Those diagnosed usually live an average of 7 to 10 years after the first onset of symptoms.

Thoughts, emotions and behavior are all affected. The most common and earliest symptom is, of course, memory loss, leading to many older people to wonder if they are experiencing the early symptoms of the disease when they simply forget where they put their keys. In most of these cases, it’s simply common forgetfulness, but in Alzheimer’s it soon becomes clear that memory loss is gradual and evasive.

There are many theories as to how Alzheimer’s develops and what the causes may be. Researchers are currently studying family history, in order to better understand the hereditary link, and the human body, to see if there could possibly be a chemical imbalance or an immune deficiency that triggers the disorder. Among known risk factors are age, genetic factors, education, head injuries, strokes and diabetes.

Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are ways to reduce or slow down its development, such as physical activity, engaging in intellectual and social activities, maintaining good health. There are some medications that can alleviate symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease, but no cure has been found as of yet. Early diagnosis and treatment can however, slow down the disease.

If some of these symptoms discussed above sound familiar to you and you suspect that you or a loved one may have symptoms of Alzheimer’s, you should see your family doctor, who will then refer you to a specialist. The Douglas Hospital also has memory tests and statistics, as well as advice for the family, on its website: www.douglas.qc.ca. The Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org) also has a plethora of information for those interested, as well as links to related sites.

This coming Tuesday, January 30, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dr. Judes Poirier, PhD, will be speaking on aging and Alzheimer’s, at Douglas Hall (6875 LaSalle, Verdun). Dr. Poirier is co-discover of the most important genetic risk factor ever identified for the common cause of this disease and believes that cholesterol is at the heart of Alzheimer’s. His findings have shown that blocked delivery of cholesterol to neurons (brain cells) may cause Alzheimer’s symptoms in some patients. Approximately 25 percent of the total amount of cholesterol present in the human body is in the brain.

The lecture is of interest to those who have loved ones suffering from the disease and want to find out more about how the aging process is related to Alzheimer’s. For more information about the lecture, you can call 514-761-6131, ext. 2769. The lecture (in French) is open to the public and Douglas Hospital researchers are eager to promote awareness of this disease which affects thousands of Canadians and millions of people around the world.