Senior News and Information

Narrow Truth: There is no cure for AD.

General Myth: Because there is no cure,

nothing can be done for patients diagnosed

with this disease.

Like diabetes and hypertension, we cannot

yet cure Alzheimer’s disease. However,

physicians can intervene and manage the

symptoms with more success than most

headlines would indicate. In fact, with a

timely diagnosis, a physician can prescribe

a treatment plan including pharmaceutical

therapy, improved diet, physical exercise,

mental and social activity, and certain

OTC supplements. When this approach

is combined with an educated caregiver,

disease progression can be commonly

slowed for some meaningful period of time.

Narrow Truth: The only certain method for

diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease is to inspect

a sample of brain tissue during autopsy.

General Myth: Alzheimer’s disease cannot

be accurately diagnosed until death.

If “certain” means 100% accuracy, then

there is no certain diagnostic method for

many well known diseases (Lou Gehrig’s

disease springs immediately to mind).

However, physicians following published

diagnostic guidelines can get a highly

accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

(90%-95), even at a fairly early stage of the

disease.

Narrow Truth: Current treatments do not

stop the progression of AD.

General Myth: Since the disease will

continue to progress, there is no need to

bother with treatment.

There is no doubt that reversing all memory

loss would be the best treatment result and

halting further memory loss would be better

than ongoing decline. However, this does

not mean that slowing the pace of further

decline is not a worthy pursuit. We all want

better treatment options in the future but

until they arrive, preserving quality of life

during a patient’s final years is definitely a

worthwhile and attainable goal.

Narrow Truth: Cognitive decline is a part of

normal aging.

General Myth: Pronounced cognitive

deficits just need to be expected and

tolerated.

As we age, all of our organic functions

tend to slow. Our ability to think, make

calculations, use judgment, and store and

retrieve information is not immune to this

process. However, a pronounced loss of

cognitive capacity severe enough to impact

a person’s ability to lead an independent life

is not normal. When such decline occurs,

there is some underlying pathological

explanation that can be identified and

treated by a physician. Accepting significant

loss of mental function as a normal artifact

of aging is a tragedy.

Narrow Truth: It’s best not to know if you

have Alzheimer’s disease

General Myth: It’s best if the problem stays

undiagnosed.

This final “truth” is a stretch to begin with.

I can imagine that, if it were possible, an

Alzheimer’s patient might enjoy life more

if they could receive the highest standards

of care without ever knowing they had a

terrible disease. However, this does not

make the case that the problem should be

ignored. Additionally, patients need to know

about their condition if they are to participate

meaningfully in their own care and end of

life decisions.

I hear and read these narrow “truths” in the

media everyday. I also see first hand how

the public mischaracterizes them and takes

away a broader and more harmful message

than is intended. Education remains a major

barrier between our current ability to care

for AD patients and the higher standards

that are within our immediate grasp. I hope

we can begin to divorce ourselves from

these sound bites of misleading truth and

begin to see the Alzheimer’s picture with

more clarity.

Source, Dennis Fortier, President, Medical

Care Corporation