Will we all end up having Alzheimer or Dementia?

[zeeeb]

i stress alot over this as well. My grandfather had early onset alzheimers, my mum has early onset alzheimers and my grandmother in law has old age alzheimers. So i stress that if it's not me, it could be my partner and my children that get it. It's stressful, constantly, every week i have to deal with alzheimers, so every week it's in my head, what if i get it, how will i arrange to be euthenased before i have to endure losing my mind.

But sometimes i wonder that because we live so much longer than we used to as a general rule, that our brains do wear out. When you get into your 80's your brain generally is going to deteriorate. Some people are lucky and are sharp into their 80's and beyond, but generally, not.

The average lifespan is longer than in years gone by, therefore the state of our health in our 80's is generally going to be poor. Whether it's heart, diabetes, sight, hearing, alzheimers, cancers, something is going to give. i'm certainly not keen to live to 100. especially with my experiences in the aged care field to date. I'm appalled by the ridiculous hoops we have to jump through to get appropriate and ongoing care. I'm appalled at the powers that be seemingly doing anything they can to shrug of the responsibilities to family rather than put care packages into place when they are required. I don't want to live long enough to have to go through some of what my grandparents have had to endure. It seems like there are some secret handshakes going on, that i'm not privvy to, therefore i'm unable to get through the door and am stuck outside in the rain.

 

[PurpleJay]

Depressing stuff if we let it get to us. Chances are, we will all die of something

I have a "horrible medical history" my GPs words! My dad had a heart attack in his 50's followed by heart disease and died at 65. My mum had a stroke at 73 ish and is now now in a care home aged 79 with severe vascular dementia among other problems.

My paternal grandmother died in her early 60's of a heart attack - she keeled over in the pub - what a way to go they say but it is still young. My paternal grandfather had a minor stroke in his 70's but coped very well until his mid 80's when he got dementia. He had his last 2 years in a care home before his heart gave out. Everyone said he lived 2 years to long. They will probably say the same about my mum.

My maternal grandmother died in her mid 40's of a second stroke. The first left her quite disabled. She also had heart problems prior to that and a heart operation but it isn't clear what for - it was a long time ago and was a big deal at the time. My maternal grandfather died of pneumonia in his 60's. Just bad luck that one - the antibiotics were not effective.

My mums 2 sisters have had cancer. One died in her 60's the other is still around having just completed treatment (fingers crossed). She is 72.

I have a number of great aunts on my mums side who have had cancer - some died of it young - others had it treated, successfully or otherwise and lived to be 80 or 90 keeping all their 'marbles' but loosing their mobility and independence to some extent. One great aunt decided she was 'old' at about 50 I am told and hardly left the house after that but lived to be 90+. Another appeared to live on whiskey, brandy, paracetamol and cake so far as I recall but managed to live to 86 before the cancer got her bless her.

On my dads side - he was the eldest of 7 children. Of the remaining 6, 1 uncle died in his 50's of heart disease and another in his 50's of cancer. Another (the youngest) had both of these and died at 65. It remains to be seen if the rest get dementia or something else gets them first.

One thing that I can say is that most of these smoked and I don't which I hope will count for something.

But who would want to bypass the rest though and end up like my mum? Yes, it is depressing alright. Mostly best not to think about it!

Jane xx

 

[Witzend]

I also have become very forgetfull .Cant find my car keys? .where is my purse? what is her name?

A while ago I heard a dementia expert answering questions on the radio. Someone said they were worried since they were often apt to forget where they'd left their car in the car park.

Expert said not to worry - when you need to worry is when you find your car but you've forgotten how to drive it.

I sometimes think that too much time on this forum doesn't help. Alzheimer's runs in my mother's family (4 out of 5 siblings so far - only the youngest (80) hasn't succumbed yet). Must say AD is my greatest health fear - far more than anything else, but then I think this probably applies to most people who've had to live with it.

But the family hit rate could also be due to environmental factors - my granny had a kitchen full of aluminium saucepans. I know they're now saying that is not a factor, but then these experts change their minds all the time. When I had my first baby all the wretched experts were saying babies must be put down to sleep on their tummies - about ten years later they were all saying DON'T put them to sleep on their tummies, it's a factor in cot deaths.
Nowadays I take most 'expert' edicts with a couple of barrels of salt.

 

[Poetic_Lass]

I think that's something that most people have wondered about at least once, that's had a family member or more that had Alzheimer's. I would guess two circumstances that could play roles in this: age and family medical history. Nothing is definite, though. My grandmother that recently passed probably had it for atleast 10 years, the doctors suspected. She passed at 85-years-old. Her mother got it 50-early 50s, and passed away about 10 years later. Though her mother's sister never got it. Her grandmother got that or some form of Dementia about 5-10 years before she died (she was in her mid 80s). My dad's side on the other hand, had no history that anyone is aware of .... My father's mother is 90-years-old and is displaying symtoms, though her mother lived nearly to 102-years-old and never had anything.

We never know what we will end up with; some things may give us a higher chance, but nothing is certain. I would say the best thing to try to do is enjoy the time we have, while we have it.

 

[Clementine]

Thank you so much for all your good and wise thoughts.

The very evening I posted this thread I went to the Shakespeare play "As you like it"
The famous lines: All the world 's a stage starts with the infant mewling and puking in the nurse's arms and ends "Last scene of all that end this strange eventful history is second childishness and mere oblivion, sansteeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
So it's always been like this, even in Shakespeare's time. In a way you are lucky if you can leave this world before all that sets in.

 

[Bodensee]

Sometimes I really get depressed, will we all end up having Alzheimer or Dementia? Nearly everyone I know who has old parents has to cope with them having Alzheimer or severe Dementia, ending their time in a home or hospital.
Mum has Alzheimer, my favourite neighbour has just been diagnosed.

Look at this forum, many of our forum members have partners, parents and aunts and uncles with Alzheimer. Some have to cope with two or three of their loved ones having this illness.

I am only 64, but sometimes I get confused, I have problems concentrating to finish my sentences, I have problems with doing small talk at a party, I am trying to learn a new language, but it just does not go in. We live a life of constant activity, our brains have hardly time to rest. Since childhood we have been exposed to chemicals in our food, hormones in our meat, obnoxious fumes in the air.
Do we have a chance?

Not so long ago dementia disease was classed as a senile disease , but today we read that more and more younger people in their 50's & 60's are developing AD, and we are being told by scientists to expect an epidemic of dementia cases by 2050, 115.4 million of us worldwide

http://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/dementia-cases-triple-2050.aspx

why is this happening, there must be a common demoninator for so many to have the same disease.

 

[Spiro]

The thing that concerns me is the fact that some of the people affected will be healthcare professionals.

What if your consultant or GP is also affected? In theory, you could be being treated by a fellow sufferer.

 

[stanleypj]

The thing that concerns me is the fact that some of the people affected will be healthcare professionals.

What if your consultant or GP is also affected? In theory, you could be being treated by a fellow sufferer.

Forgive me - don't know if you're a carer - but I reckon this will be pretty far down on most carers' list of worries!

 

[fluff]

Not so long ago dementia disease was classed as a senile disease , but today we read that more and more younger people in their 50's & 60's are developing AD, and we are being told by scientists to expect an epidemic of dementia cases by 2050, 115.4 million of us worldwide

http://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/dementia-cases-triple-2050.aspx

why is this happening, there must be a common demoninator for so many to have the same disease.

Not so long ago, if you reached 50 or 60 you were considered old. If, in your 60s you developed dementia, it was fair enough to consider it a disease of old age - life expectancy was so much shorter and at 60 you were old.

Our problem is that your chances of developing it increase with increasing age - and we live much longer. Now in our 60s we think we are 'only middle-aged', nobody is old at 60anymore. But our biology hasn't changed to keep up so things can start to go wrong.

 

[rjm]

Not so long ago dementia disease was classed as a senile disease , but today we read that more and more younger people in their 50's & 60's are developing AD, and we are being told by scientists to expect an epidemic of dementia cases by 2050, 115.4 million of us worldwide

http://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/dementia-cases-triple-2050.aspx

why is this happening, there must be a common demoninator for so many to have the same disease.

Alzheimer himself was interested in the condition of pre-senile demetia. His definitive case study, which lead to naming the dementia in his honour, involved a 51 year old woman. For the early and mid part of the twentieth century Alzheimer's dementia was considered separate from senile dementia and the diagnosis was only applied to those younger than 65. Around 1970 it was recognised that senile dementia was a disease entity (in fact the same as Alzheimer's) and not a normal progression of aging, although aging left one more vunerable to its onset.

 

[Owly]

Stressing over it is the worst thing you can do as you are putting toxic, inflammatory chemicals through your brain that will kill off brain cells and neurons.

Empower yourselves by researching what your brain needs and how you can help your brain to live for longer in good health.

Just some ideas to start you off -

Deal with your anger and resentment issues. A toxic build-up of thoughts and feelings about people and situations must be resolved. Meditation/mindfulness training can help. When your mind is being inflammatory about something, your brain is also suffering.

Avoid electromagnetic fields like those coming off mobile phones, cordless phones and wi-fi routers as they all damage your internal 'electrics' including brain signalling. Do not sit at a computer all day as that encourages blood clotting.

Get enough good fats into your brain like olive oil, butter and coconut oil. The recommended low-fat diet may be a huge common denominator. When you avoid fats, you will go for more sugar/carbs and they are inflammatory to body and brain.

Eat turmeric accompanied by black pepper for more absorption, as it is believed to be capable of breaking down the rogue proteins that clog up an Alzheimer's brain. Other abnormal protein gobblers are pineapple (especially the core), figs, kiwi and papaya.

Keep yourself well-hydrated and exercised for good circulation. Eat berries especially blueberries and cherries for microcirculation. And dark chocolate! Preferably not wrapped in aluminium - I found a plastic wrapped one by Bellarom in Lidl.

Do not binge-drink (top story in the current Mature Times - cause of Alzheimer's).

You may be offered statins to improve blood circulation but these have memory damage as a side-effect, ditto anti-depressants.

Try to avoid foods wrapped or cooked in aluminium as this is found in Alzheimer's brains and will be taken up by the brain if you do not get enough magnesium. Therefore also research magnesium foods and take supplements if necessary.

Take additional B vitamins and folic acid known to keep down levels of homocysteine which will damage your brain. Make sure B12 is included especially if you are vegetarian.

Get enough iodine to keep your thyroid in good shape.

Detox metals from your brain with chlorella and coriander.

If you take additional calcium, make sure it also has Vit K and magnesium or it will encourage blood clotting and settle in your veins and arteries rather than get into your bones.

Look up acetylcarnitine/carnosine, believed to block the formation of amyloid plaques.

If you think you have had tick bites, get checked for Lyme Disease. One study showed 7 of 10 Alzheimer's sufferers had Lyme disease bacteria in their brains. When bacteria are found in the urine (UTI) and memory also typically worsens, doesn't that suggest there is a systemic bacterial cause that is affecting the brain?? Anti-biotics can remove both the urinal bacteria and the brain bacteria.

Any more suggestions happily received.....

 

[Canadian Joanne]

why is this happening, there must be a common demoninator for so many to have the same disease.

Yes, the common denominator is that people are living longer and one's chances of developing AD increase with age.

As Fluff so succinctly and clearly put it

Not so long ago, if you reached 50 or 60 you were considered old. If, in your 60s you developed dementia, it was fair enough to consider it a disease of old age - life expectancy was so much shorter and at 60 you were old.

Our problem is that your chances of developing it increase with increasing age - and we live much longer. Now in our 60s we think we are 'only middle-aged', nobody is old at 60anymore. But our biology hasn't changed to keep up so things can start to go wrong.

 

[stanleypj]

Owly
"Any more suggestions happily received....."

Here's a suggestion: People would be well-advised to investigate what scientific evidence there is for any and every dietary/lifestyle recommendation that appears on these forums.

Or they could just decide to live a reasonably healthy life and try not to worry.

Most carers probably don't have time to worry.

 

[JPG1]

Not all suggestions for dietary and/or changes in lifestyle, or research-related topics are posted by TP members.

I wonder what the Alzheimer's Society would say about its own numerous postings about what 'may' and 'could' or 'possibly' affect this and that in the dementia world?

The Alzheimer's Society regularly places reports here on TP about about all sorts of things that 'may' or 'may not' assist with warding-off, prevention of, delay of, connection with dementia and so on.

Obesity, diabetes, flavonols in cocoa drinks, CRP protein linked to inflammation, changes in walking speed, nutritional drinks, dietary supplements that 'may/could' provide benefits .... to name but a few recent ones.

If you're interested in any one of them, you often have to hunt down the original piece of research.

That's my suggestion.

 

[stanleypj]

I agree - all such recommendation should be looked at carefully. However, I don't remember the society warning against electromagnetic fields, computers that cause clotting, aluminium, for example.

I would think that TP members would tend to pay more attention to what the society suggests than to some of the injunctions fired off by members but I think everyone should try to check out the latest scientific views on all these ideas if they are tempted to take them seriously. The internet, which makes it so easy to spread these ideas, sound or dotty, far and wide also makes it possible to check their likely validity.

 

[JPG1]

stanleypj, there are many things posted on TP which could equally be described as 'dotty' (your word, not mine). They may be dotty or they may not be dotty. Some people may find them helpful; others may not. Some people may find them completely 'off the wall and dotty'; others may not.

As long as any comment or suggestion is based on a TPer's personal experience or on a suggestion that comes out of a sense of caring and concern, or even from a personal interest in one aspect of the whole gamut of dementia and dementia-research, there's every reason to accept them or to ignore them, as you wish. Is there any reaason to decry them?

There's no need, surely, in a modern world to deny a TPer's post as being valid as far as they are concerned. Or to post negatively about what may be important to that particular TPer, in dealing with their own living nightmare.

I think it would be a great idea for the Alzheimer's Society to provide a direct and easily accessible link to any piece of research that the Alz Soc posts on TP and comments on. Then we can all make our own mind up.

The Alzheimer's Society is not the be-all and end-all of dementia knowledge or research.

The comments that I referred to are not 'suggestions' by the Alz Soc. They are just 'possibles'.

 

[stanleypj]

I certainly did not mean to imply (and I don't think I did imply) that the Alzheimer's Society is the be-all and end-all of research. I do not think that at all.

But I do think that their 'possibilities' are more worthy of consideration than some of the ideas presented on these forums (and these are sometimes presented, as in the post I responded to, as established facts rather than possibilities. I think this can actually be unhelpful - or worse).

 

[Owly]

I do encourage you to research some of the "possibilities" I wrote about, Stanley. Researching is good for the brain, after all.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of the Alzheimer's/aluminium connection, so maybe start with that.

And here is a video on what electrosmog (which comes off your computer) will do to your blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7E36zGHxRw

 

[jenniferpa]

I'm surprised you haven't heard of the Alzheimer's/aluminium connection, so maybe start with that.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99

 

[Chemmy]

Thank you, Jennifer.