Introduction
In recent decades, medicine has advanced and provided patients with more opportunities for a healthy life. However, some diseases remain a mystery with inconclusive research and no specific, universal treatment. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as a condition that mostly affects an older generation, is one of these few cases. With the quality of life for the general population continually rising, the age expectancy increases as well, which puts significantly more elders at risk of developing AD. Experts and medical professionals now claim that Alzheimer’s spread and its effect on the economy and social life are destined to become more prominent than ever before. Thus, every person at risk of or with already diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease has to carefully consider the illness’s clinical background to accurately identify, recognize, and address the condition. This research paper provides extensive knowledge on the history, clinical characteristics, treatment, and importance of Alzheimer’s disease to educate the patient population.
Personal Significance
I consider patient education on this particular topic a crucial aspect of both treatment and diagnosis. The erudition on AD is also not limited to the patients themselves. It extends to relatives, family, friends, and others who somehow might intersect with a sick person’s life. Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that transforms the everyday activities of a patient on multiple levels, and for proper care and treatment, being knowledgeable is the key.
Clinical Characteristics and Diagnosis
Firstly, understanding AD’s clinical background is vital for identifying and addressing the health issue in a timely and appropriate manner, as well as being prepared for the forecasted symptoms. According to Dubois et al. (2016), Alzheimer’s disease in the majority of cases affects only the older generation of people 65 years old or more. Dubois et al. (2016) also claimed that the development of the condition is directly connected to aging. Although there are no specific and comprehensive set of symptoms that define the illness, the most widespread indication of AD is “an insidiously worsening ability to remember new information” (Cass, 2017, p. 19). These changes in cognitive health are associated with the diminishing number of brain neurons (Dubois et al., 2016). Such a significant malfunction in the human brain can naturally lead to many harmful changes in other parts of the organism.
The perception of Alzheimer’s disease shifted from a singular diagnosis to a continuum with multiple stages and extents of severity. At the early, preclinical phases, the patient may experience problems in recalling recent actions, events, or conversations, as well as display the signs of depression, anxiety, and apathy (“2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures,” 2016). As the illness progresses, however, patients start to face the severity of the condition by “impaired communication, disorientation, confusion, poor judgment, behaviour changes and, ultimately, difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking” (“2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures,” 2016, p. 461). Given how severe Alzheimer’s disease affects day-to-day life and basic human needs, it comes as no surprise that this condition drastically decreases one’s quality of life and life expectancy.
Impact of the AD: Mortality, Progress, and Forecasts
Alzheimer’s disease continues to grow in terms of its negative social and economic influences, as well as the population it impacts. In the recent decade, while conditions like heart disease become less dangerous and lethal due to advances in medicine, the mortality rates from AD have risen by more than 70% (Cass, 2017, p. 19). This development makes it the 9th most significant reason for lessening the lifespan of a patient in comparison to it being 32nd ten years ago (Cass, 2017, p. 19). Thus, Alzheimer’s disease can be considered a viable threat not only to the well-being of the elderly but also to their lifespan. “In 2016, an estimated 700,000 Americans age 65 years will die with Alzheimer’s disease, and many of them will die because of the complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease” (“2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures,” 2016, p. 459). This number is forecasted to double in the upcoming decade. Consequently, this growing trend is distressing for many: governments and research facilities risk spending too much money on treatment, the healthcare system is predicted to be overloaded, and people are expected to be more at risk.
Economic Costs of Treatment
As Alzheimer’s Disease remains a condition with no definitive cure, the costs of treatment remain high. One of the most considerable spendings among people with age-related AD or dementia is majorly associated with caregiving. “The estimated economic value of care provided by family and other unpaid caregivers of people with dementia was $221.3 billion in 2015” (“2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures,” 2016, p. 477). These costs are expected to grow as more people get sick. The financial obligation to sustain a decent quality of life for the ill relative eventually results in “taking money out of their retirement savings, cutting back on buying food, and reducing trips to the doctor” (“2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures,” 2016, p. 461). Furthermore, considering the lack of definite effective treatment options, one’s financial burden grows as the stage of AD becomes more clinical.
Alzheimer’s Disease’s Importance for the General Population: Social Costs
While it is understandable why diagnosed patients seek new information and increase their knowledge on the topic, many others fail to acknowledge that AD might affect their lives directly or implicitly. Those who grow increasingly concerned about Alzheimer’s are the older generation; however, with constant societal changes and improvements, the majority of the people will now reach the age of potential risk. Although the disease does not transmit from person to person, the better quality of life is, the more people reach older age, and consequently, more individuals risk containing Alzheimer’s disease (Cass, 2017). Therefore, investing time and money into AD research is a viable option for sustaining one’s future.
In addition to being costly, Alzheimer’s disease also dramatically affects the social life of the patient and his surrounding. This societal threat is another widely ignored aspect of the condition that needs to be taken into consideration. The burden of care for both early and clinical-stage Alzheimer’s patients falls on the close social circle, care providers, and, later on, onto governmental “healthcare systems, research and drug-discovery infrastructures, and public policy” (Graham, Bonito-Oliva, & Sakmar, 2017, p. 414). Consequently, even if a person is not directly affected by the disease, he can be negatively influenced by the close sufferer of the illness.
Conclusion
To conclude, Alzheimer’s disease patient education is an essential aspect of dealing with, treating, and living with the condition. Given its non-conclusive symptoms and the fact that it is a continuum rather than a comprehensive, single diagnosis, different people will deal with AD differently. However, understanding what the illness entails physically, economically, and socially will help the adaptation to occur successfully. As per the general population, the understating of Alzheimer’s is valuable knowledge since its impact on communities is becoming more prominent as the overall quality of life rises. For broadening the knowledge on AD further, some terms for individual research are “Alzheimer’s clinical picture,” “AD’s impact on the community,” and “AD facts and statistics.”
References
- 2016 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. (2016). Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 12(4), 459-509. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.03.001
- Cass, S. P. (2017). Alzheimerʼs disease and exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 16(1), 19-22. doi:10.1249/jsr.0000000000000332
- Dubois, B., Hampel, H., Feldman, H. H., Scheltens, P., Aisen, P., Andrieu, S.,… Jack, C. R. (2016). Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease: Definition, natural history, and diagnostic criteria. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 12(3), 292-323. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.02.002
- Graham, W. V., Bonito-Oliva, A., & Sakmar, T. P. (2017). Update on Alzheimer’s disease therapy and prevention strategies. Annual Review of Medicine, 68(1), 413-430. doi:10.1146/annurev-med-042915-103753