2024-09-22 16:36:28
Are Alzheimer’s and dementia the same thing? What do patients usually die of? And how can the disease be stopped? We clarify five common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is a disease of the nervous system in which memory and other cognitive functions can be gradually lost. The disease is complex and is still not fully understood. This leads to many uncertainties and false assumptions. On the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, the Alzheimer Research Initiative (AFI) is clearing up common misconceptions.
It is often assumed that Alzheimer’s and dementia are the same thing. The term “dementia” comes from Latin and means “without mind”. It covers over 50 different disorders that affect mental performance. Dementia is therefore a collective term and is not the same as Alzheimer’s disease. However, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Other forms of the disease include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia or dementia in Parkinson’s disease.
That is only partially true. What is certain is that the frequency of the disease increases with age. New statistics show that more than half (53 percent) of those who died from it in 2023 were 85 years of age or older.
But younger people can also be affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. “Early dementia” is when people under 65 become ill. Genetic factors play a greater role here than in later-onset dementias. It is estimated that around five percent of all people with Alzheimer’s are younger than 65.
It is true that Alzheimer’s cannot currently be cured. But Alzheimer’s is treatable. Alzheimer’s medication can slow the progression of the disease and accompanying symptoms such as depression or aggression can also be treated with medication. Non-medicinal therapies such as mental, physical and emotional mobilization can maintain independence for longer and promote well-being.
It is not true that Alzheimer’s is always inherited. If one parent is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, this does not automatically mean that their children will also develop the disease. In most cases, the disease is not genetic and only occurs after the age of 65, with the risk of developing the disease increasing with age. Some genetic variants can increase the risk, but they do not necessarily lead to the onset of the disease.
People with Alzheimer’s do not forget to breathe. They do not die directly from Alzheimer’s disease, but from concurrent illnesses. In the last stages of the disease, patients also deteriorate physically and ultimately require round-the-clock care. Because the immune system is significantly weakened as a result, susceptibility to infectious diseases increases. Many people with Alzheimer’s die from respiratory infections such as pneumonia.