Health Alert: 1 In 3 Senior Citizens Dies With Dementia

Study finds elderly people without Alzheimer’s disease still affected by symptoms

Here’s something that will hit home for anyone caring for a rapidly aging loved one… A new study by the Alzheimer’s Association finds that a staggering 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. But dying with Alzheimer’s is not that same as dying from it, the association’s report cautions. Even someone without the diagnosis can experience dementia related symptoms that deliver a “final blow” and interfere with treatment for heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. Only 30 percent of 70-year-olds without Alzheimer’s are expected to die before their 80th birthday. But if they do have dementia, 61 percent are expected to die, the report found. There is no good treatment for Alzheimer’s or other milder forms of dementia, which 5.2 million Americans already have. By 2050, those numbers will jump to 13.8 million, the association predicts. Caring for aging parents or grandparents can, in ways, fundamentally alter a family’s finances and disposition. Pass this information along to anyone you think can use it. (Associated Press)

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