Jul
24
2023
Do I have it?
Author: adminAs we seniors age into the 80’s, most of us have an almost unanswerable question.
“Is memory loss just normal at four-score plus?” “Is it dementia?” “Where is the line between the two?” “How can I know?”
Having reached that age, I’ve been dealing with the issue for sometime now. And, I don’t have an answer. Probably never will.
I endured a lengthy formal testing two years ago. The result was “early onset dementia.” At the time, I was told by medical professionals there was no reason for concern. Yeah. Sure.
Now, here it is, two years later and the question still haunts. As more things are forgotten, is it simply age? Or, something else?
The Alzheimer’s Association recently published updated research showing Seniors living in the East and Southeast regions of the country are most likely to have Alzheimer’s. Especially in rural areas.
But, another part of that same study showed metro areas Miami-Dade County, Baltimore and the Bronx borough of New York City in which the disease affected one-in-six Seniors. Maryland has the highest prevalence at the state level with New York and Mississippi
second and third.
Use of demographic risk factors to estimate the presence of Alzheimer’s can help show the full burden of the disease better than medical records. That data shows more than half of people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementia are undiagnosed.
That’s often the case because loved ones don’t recognize the presence of Alzheimer’s, thinking forgetfulness is just part of the ageing process. Doctors don’t always ask about it, being reluctant to make and share the diagnosis without testing.
Of course, the risk of dementia increases with age. According to the Alzheimer’s Association study, “People ages 75 to 79 were about three times more likely to have the disease than those 65 to 69. And, rates were about 15 times higher among ages 85 and up.”
Also, rates for Senior women were 13-percent higher than among Senior men. Rates for Black Seniors were about 2.5 times higher than among White Seniors.
Alzheimer’s is tough to diagnose. Last week, talking to my doctor, I mentioned this subject to her. She gave me a quick verbal test and, when it was over, she just smiled and continued our session. Optimist that I am, I’m taking that as negative on her test.
Still, that question of “Is it dementia or something else” hangs in the air. I know I’m more forgetful. But, is it because of a disease or just the four-score and seven years and lots of gray hair? And, that’s why it’s hard to get a straight answer from health care professionals.
Oh well. As my wife says, “He’s not yet put his car keys in the refrigerator.” Guess that’s as good a test as any.