According to The National Institute of Ageing website, Alzheimer’s disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and millions of Americans are affected by the disease. It’s important to distinguish the facts from the myths about Alzheimer’s, especially when it comes to finding information online.
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Read on to learn about common myths surrounding this disease. Below are snippets of content from the website about 11 Myths about Alzheimer’s Disease.
11 Myth about Alzheimer’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are the same things
People often use the terms Alzheimer’s disease and dementia interchangeably, but there is a difference. Dementia refers to impaired memory, thinking, reasoning, and behavior, and Alzheimer’s is just one type of dementia.
2. I will develop Alzheimer’s disease if my parent has it
If a parent or close relative has Alzheimer’s disease, you may be worried about developing it as you age. A person’s chance of developing Alzheimer’s is higher if they have certain genetic mutations or variations that can be passed down from a parent. However, just because a biological parent has Alzheimer’s does not mean their children will develop it.
3. Only people in their 70s and older get Alzheimer’s disease
While the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is age, that does not mean that only older adults develop it. For most people with Alzheimer’s, it’s true that symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or beyond. However, some people experience symptoms earlier, even as young as their 30s.
4. Alzheimer’s disease symptoms are normal as we get older
Many people become more forgetful as they age, and some forgetfulness, such as losing things from time to time, is normal. Talk with your doctor if you are worried about your memory or other possible Alzheimer’s symptoms.
5. There are no treatments available for people with Alzheimer’s disease
Research has never been more promising. Thanks to scientific advances, research has never been more promising, while there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. There has been significant progress toward developing better treatments for people with Alzheimer’s. Several medications are available that can help treat people with Alzheimer’s disease.
6. If I frequently forget things, it must be Alzheimer’s disease
Even though memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s, not all memory problems mean a person has the disease. Some forgetfulness is normal as we age. Talk with your doctor to determine whether the memory changes you’re noticing are normal or maybe a sign of something more serious.
7. You can buy supplements online to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease
Many websites and advertisements promise certain supplements can effectively treat or cure diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In some cases, these may seem reliable, offering advice on healthy aging and Alzheimer’s to gain people’s trust and promote their products. However, there is no scientific evidence backing these claims, and currently, no supplement has been proven to delay, prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer’s.
8. You can prevent Alzheimer’s disease
There is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s. However, you can take steps to help reduce your risk for this disease. A risk factor may increase a person’s chance of developing a disease. Some risk factors can be controlled, while others cannot, such as the genes you inherit.
9. Doctors cannot definitively diagnose someone with Alzheimer’s disease until after death
Before researchers developed biomarker tests in the early 2000s, the only sure way to know whether a person had Alzheimer’s disease was through autopsy, a procedure performed after death. Now, lab and imaging tests are available to help a doctor or researcher see the biological signs of the disease in a living person.
10. An at-home genetic test can tell me if I have (or will have) Alzheimer’s disease
You may have heard about at-home genetic tests. These tests extract DNA from a person’s saliva and provide reports of genetic data. It’s important to note that no genetic test can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic tests can identify certain rare mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer’s and genetic variations that increase a person’s risk for the disease. Talk with your doctor about these types of genetic tests.
11. I’m not a scientist. I can’t do anything to help fight Alzheimer’s disease
Even if you are not a scientist, there are many ways to help advance Alzheimer’s disease research! Volunteers participating in clinical trials and studies have led to meaningful advancements in detecting, diagnosing, and treating Alzheimer’s. All volunteers, including people living with dementia, caregivers, and healthy volunteers, are needed.
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