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Welcome to the latest edition of our Medical Myths series. Today, to mark World Alzheimer’s Day, we will address the myths related to both Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general.
Currently, an estimated 5.8 million people age 65 and older in the United States have dementia.
Due to the fact that the average life expectancy of people in the US has increased in recent decades, some experts project that by 2050, the number of older adults with dementia could reach 13.8 million.
Figures of this height arouse justifiable fear and, as we have found in previous articles on Medical Myths, fear tends to generate misconceptions.
In this article, we aim to dispel 11 of these myths.
This statement is not true. Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
According to a report published by the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, affects 3% of people aged 65 to 74 in the United States.
As a result of the increased risk as we age, 17% of people ages 75 to 84 and 32% of people age 85 and older have a diagnosis of dementia.
This is not quite correct. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80% of all cases of dementia. Other types of dementia include frontotemporal dementia (FTD), vascular dementia, mixed dementia, and Lewy body dementia.
The National Institute on Aging defines dementia as “the loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, remembering, and reasoning) and behavioral skills to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s life and daily activities.”
Although dementias share certain characteristics, each type has a different underlying pathology.
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the accumulation of so-called plaques and tangles in the brain. These structures interfere with brain cells and eventually kill them. In contrast, the death of brain cells in vascular dementia occurs due to lack of oxygen, which can result from a stroke, for example.
FTD, as another example, occurs when abnormal protein structures form in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, causing brain cells in these regions to die.
A common myth is that dementia is purely genetic. In other words, if a member of a person’s family has a diagnosis of dementia, they are guaranteed to develop dementia later in life. This is not true.
While some forms of dementia have a genetic component, most cases do not have a strong genetic link.
As we learned earlier, more than genetic factors, the most important risk factor for dementia is age. However, if one of the parents or grandparents developed Alzheimer’s disease when they were under the age of 65, the likelihood that it will be transmitted genetically is higher.
However, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is relatively rare. It occurs in approximately 5.5% of all Alzheimer’s cases.
Since most cases of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, this means that most cases of dementia are not inherited. FTD, which is much less common, has a stronger genetic link, but if a parent or grandparent develops the condition, it does not mean that children or grandchildren are guaranteed to develop it.
Currently, FTD affects approximately 15-22 out of 100,000 people. Of these people, 10-15% have a strong family history of the condition.
Age is a risk factor for dementia, but dementia can affect younger adults in rare cases. Some scientists estimate that in people ages 30 to 64, 38 to 260 people out of 100,000, or 0.038 to 0.26%, develop early-onset dementia.
In the 55-64 age group, this increases to about 420 people out of 100,000, or 0.4%.
In the 1960s, scientists injected rabbits with high levels of aluminum. They found that the animals developed neurological lesions similar to those that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
Additionally, some studies have identified aluminum within plaques associated with Alzheimer’s. However, aluminum also appears in the healthy brain, and researchers have not established a causal link between this element and disease.
As a result of these studies, myths still circulate that drinking from aluminum cans or cooking with aluminum pots increases the risk of Alzheimer’s.
However, since those early experiments, scientists have not found a clear association between Alzheimer’s and the use of aluminum pots and pans.
Although researchers will eventually establish the precise relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s, it is unlikely that aluminum consumption through diet plays a significant role.
As the Alzheimer’s Society explains: “Aluminum in food and drink is in a form that is not easily absorbed by the body. Therefore, the amount absorbed is less than 1% of the amount in food and beverages. Most of the aluminum that enters the body is removed by the kidneys. “
However, they also write that some research has found “a potential role for high doses of aluminum in drinking water in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease for people who already have it.”
Fortunately, this is not the case. Many people with a dementia diagnosis lead active and meaningful lives. Some people fear that if a doctor diagnoses them with dementia, they will no longer be able to go for a walk alone and will have to stop driving their vehicle immediately.
It is true that these adjustments can come over time as the condition progresses, but in mild cases of dementia, changes may not be necessary. As dementia worsens, changes are likely to occur in the way a person leads their life, but that does not mean that the person cannot lead a full life.
“Too many people are unaware of dementia; many feel that a dementia diagnosis means that someone is immediately unable to lead a normal life, while myths and misunderstandings continue to contribute to the stigma and isolation that many people will feel,” explains Jeremy Hughes. , former executive director of the Alzheimer’s Society.
“[W]We want to assure people that life doesn’t end when dementia starts. “
– Jeremy Hughes
Although memory loss can be an early symptom of dementia, it does not necessarily mean the beginning of this condition. Human memory can be unpredictable and we all forget things from time to time. However, if the memory loss interferes with daily life, it is best to speak with a doctor.
Although memory problems tend to be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, it is not the case in other forms of dementia. For example, the first signs and symptoms of FTD may include changes in mood and personality, language difficulties, and obsessive behavior.
This, unfortunately, is not true. However, it is important to note that certain factors can reduce the risk of developing certain types of dementia or delay its onset.
For example, him Lancet The 2020 Commission Report on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care lists 12 factors that increase the risk of dementia:
- less education
- hypertension
- hearing impairment
- of smoking
- obesity
- depression
- physical inactivity
- diabetes
- low levels of social contact
- alcohol consumption
- traumatic brain injury
- the air pollution
Some of these factors are more difficult to change than others, but working to change any one of them could help reduce your risk of developing dementia. The report’s authors explain:
“Together, the 12 modifiable risk factors account for about 40% of dementias worldwide, which could therefore theoretically be prevented or delayed.”
However, as Dr. Nancy Sicotte, a neurologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, CA explains, “Reducing your risk requires starting these lifestyle changes early, without waiting until your 70s.”
Linked to the previous section, this is also false. To date, there is no strong evidence that any vitamin or mineral supplement can reduce the risk of dementia. In 2018, the Cochrane Library conducted a review with the aim of answering this question.
Their analysis included data from more than 83,000 participants in the 28 included studies. Although the authors report “some general limitations of the evidence,” they conclude:
“We found no evidence that any vitamin or mineral supplementation strategy for cognitively healthy adults in middle or old age has a significant effect on cognitive decline or dementia, although the evidence does not allow definitive conclusions.”
In some cases, people with dementia may find it increasingly difficult to understand the world around them. This confusion can be frustrating, and some people may respond to emotions with anger. However, this is not the case for everyone.
In a study involving 215 people with dementia, 41% of the participants developed aggression during the 2-year study. When looking at the factors that increased the risk of developing aggression, the researchers identified two of the main factors as physical pain and a low-quality relationship between the person and their caregiver.
Unfortunately, dementia can be fatal. According to a recent study, which appears in JAMA Newrthelthegramand, dementia may be a more common cause of death than experts have traditionally thought. The authors “found that approximately 13.6% of deaths were attributable to dementia during the period 2000-2009.”
Dementia worries people, especially as they age, and this is justified in many ways. However, it is important to counter misinformation that could increase concerns and stigma.
For now, researchers are working tirelessly to develop better ways to treat and prevent dementia. In the future, hopefully, science will reduce the impact of dementia and thus the fear associated with the disease.
