Impact of Alzheimer's disease growing

Fort Myers News-press.com

Impact of Alzheimer's disease growing
Alzheimer's disease has joined cancer as the word that people do not want to utter aloud for fear it might happen to them. Alzheimer's disease is second only to cancer as the illness we worry most about getting Ironically, the projected number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease exceeds that of breast and prostate cancer combined. The Centers for Disease Control's Web site lists Alzheimer's disease as one of the top 10 leading causes of death. The CDC reports that "notably, mortality rates for Alzheimer's disease are on the rise, unlike heart disease and cancer death rates which are continuing to decline."

Alzheimer's disease affects approximately 5 million Americans. The number of estimated cases in Lee County exceeds 22,000. In virtually every neighborhood across our community, someone is touched by Alzheimer's disease.

Despite these grim facts about the disease, there is hope for the future. The attention that Alzheimer's disease is receiving in the media is paramount in helping raise awareness and emphasize the need for continued research and care.

The news also brings hopeful information about current research and progress toward early detection, better treatments and strategies for prevention.

The Alzheimer's Project introduced by HBO this month is a wonderful example of the positive message we can deliver about what's happening with treatment and research for Alzheimer's disease.

HBO's Web site nicely summarizes the goal of the project with these words "While there is no cure for the disease, The Alzheimer's Project shows there is now genuine reason to be optimistic about the future."

Recent news stories and heightened awareness also call attention to the significance of supporting families who are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. Treatment, research, and care are each equally important in addressing the impact of Alzheimer's disease on our society and the health care system.

The Alzheimer's Project, which is a ......read the whole article

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