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One part of the answer is that early detection of Alzheimer's
disease gives the patient a precious gift of time. Alzheimer's
affects not just the patient but often an entire family; early
warning gives everyone time to make plans for the future,
before the disease really sets in.
But there is another reason why it is worth being tested for
Alzheimer's: Often the memory lapses and other symptoms associated
with Alzheimer's disease are mimicked by other syndromes. These
can be other forms of dementia such as vascular
dementia (see our article, "Vascular
Dementia") or other conditions such as depression
(see our article,"Depression
and Memory"), type II diabetes,
viral infections, hypothyroidism,
and even some widely-prescribed medications. The good news is
that, once identified, many of these conditions can be treated
or even cured. An Alzheimer's test might actually rule out Alzheimer's
disease, revealing that some other condition is causing the
symptoms-and increasing the chance that correct treatment will
be started.
Of course, many people actually do have Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, in the United States, all the drugs
currently approved for Alzheimer's disease treat the symptoms,
not the underlying disease (see our story, "The
New Alzheimer's Drugs"). These drugs may be able to
slow a patient's decline, but won't reverse it. Therefore, it's
important to identify Alzheimer's disease as early as possible
so that medication can be started right away, so that the patient
can maintain a relatively high level of cognitive function for
as long as possible. Once again, the importance of early diagnosis
is clear.
If you or someone you know has memory problems that are interfering
with daily life, don't avoid a medical exam just because you're
frightened that the diagnosis will be Alzheimer's. It may be
the case that examination will reveal a different, treatable
cause underlying the memory problems. And the earlier the cause
is detected, the more chance that treatment will be effective.
Your doctor or health care professional will be able to tell
you more about testing for Alzheimer's disease, and should also
be able to identify other health factors that may be responsible
for memory loss. Knowing the causes behind memory loss may be
better than living with the worry.
Sincerely,
Catherine E. Myers
Co-Director
Memory Disorders Project at Rutgers-Newark
Copyright © 2002 Memory Loss and the Brain
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