Alzheimer's Disease: Hypotheses on Trends
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), Alzheimer’s disease is one of the major forms of dementia, which starts with mild loss of memory. Subsequently, the affected person loses their aptitude to converse appropriately, work normally, and respond to their environment. Other symptoms include getting lost, repeating questions, taking longer to complete daily tasks, having poor judgment, and losing or misplacing things. Research shows that the symptoms tend to appear after the age of 60 years whereby the risks increase with one’s age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
Alzheimer’s disease is among the top ten leading causes of mortality in the US and the fifth causes of death among persons between the ages of 65 and 85 years. In 2013, around 5 million Americans suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, and it is projected that by 2050, this number will rise to 14 million. In 2010, the costs of treating the disease were as high as $215 billion, and by 2040, it is estimated that this number will be between $379 and $ 500 billion annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). In 2014, it was estimated that there were roughly 93,500 related deaths in the District of Columbia alone. It has also been noted that the number of people dying at home due to the disease has heightened from 14 percent to 25 percent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
It has not yet been established what the main cause of the disease is though research is underway. However, there are factors that can trigger it such as age, family history, high cholesterol, low levels of Vitamin folate, and high blood pressure among others. There has been growing evidence that social, mental and physical activities can help in protecting one from acquiring the disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Others include consuming a healthy diet, being active, having sufficient time to sleep, connecting with families, friends, and communities, as well as exploring (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).
Treating Alzheimer’s disease entails slowing the symptoms, management of the presented behavioral symptoms, and helping the affected persons to maintain their mental functions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
Patterns with respect to Age
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) establishes that it is uncommon for young people to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The most affected persons are those over the age of 65 years. It has also been noted that counties with the highest rates of deaths, resulting from Alzheimer’s disease are in the Southeast, West, and Midwest of the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
Hypotheses on Trends
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) determines that the number of those dying from Alzheimer’s disease has continued to increase and it is unfortunate that such cases are underreported. It has also been established that related death rates increased by 55 percent between the year 1999 and 2014 (CDC, 2017). Therefore, it is possible that the number will continue to rise since there is no one definite cause or cure for the disease; hence, preventing it can be quite challenging. However, with the numbers of affected persons increasing at an alarming rate, it is highly possible that there will be more educational channels to caregivers and heightened research to determine the real causes of the disease and how it can be cured.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/dotw/alzheimers/index.html
CDC. (2017). US death rates from Alzheimer’s disease increased 55 percent from 1999 to 2014. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0525-alzheimer-deaths.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/features/alzheimers-disease-deaths/index.html
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