Alzheimer's to Increase Exponentially Among Baby Boomers

By Jeralyn, Section Off Topic
Posted on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 02:52:30 AM EST
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This latest report is not good news for baby boomers:

Figure represents 10 percent increase over number five years ago
• Aging baby boomers will cause Alzheimer's to skyrocket
• Number of younger sufferers "drastically underreported," doctor says bq..bq

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a 10 percent increase since the last Alzheimer's Association estimate five years ago -- and a count that supports the long-forecast dementia epidemic as the population grays.

Age is the biggest risk factor, and the report to be released Tuesday shows the nation is on track for skyrocketing Alzheimer's once the baby boomers start turning 65 in 2011. Already, one in eight people 65 and older have the mind-destroying illness, and nearly one in two people over 85.

Unless scientists discover a way to delay Alzheimer's brain attack, some 7.7 million people are expected to have the disease by 2030, the report says. By 2050, that toll could reach 16 million.

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Alzheimer's to Increase Exponentially Among Baby Boomers | 12 comments (12 topical)

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wonder why? (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Konnie on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 08:00:07 AM EST

I don't know - maybe it's - THE CRAP IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY? THE DRUGS IN OUR MILK? THE DRUGS IN OUR MEAT? THE ANTIBOTICS IN OUR CHICKENS? THE PERSERVATIVES IN OUR PACKAGED FOOD? THE GENETICALLY ALTERED SEEDS? THE CHEMICALS USED AS FERTILIZER, WEED AND BUG KILLERS?.........just askin'

: Easy.... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 08:45:13 AM EST

with those scary questions Konnie, we might not like the answers.
This is gonna sound cold...but anybody else ever think that maybe we are living longer than mother nature intended? And she is throwing curveballs at us?

: Could be... (none / 0) (#6)
by desertswine on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 11:46:32 AM EST

Already, one in eight people 65 and older have the mind-destroying illness, and nearly one in two people over 85.
Sure it's Altzheimer's?
How about mad-cow?

: or, Vaccines? (none / 0) (#7)
by Peaches on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 12:03:25 PM EST

maybe getting a flu vaccine each year so you don't get influenza end up as one in a million who die from the flu. Trade a small chance for a larger chance. Might not be such a great idea.

: Konnie (none / 0) (#8)
by HeadScratcher on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 12:29:42 PM EST

You're kidding, right? Gee, if you live longer then you get more disease.
We can do a Logan's Run and have everyone offed at 30 and then you would decrease the rate of disease too.

I thought it was the pot. (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Che's Lounge on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 08:58:58 AM EST

Stimulate your brain.
Read Talkleft. Every day.

Gee, what would you have this country do? (none / 0) (#1)
by dkmich on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 04:49:30 AM EST

Invest in eliminating this nightmare instead of making Cheney richer by investing in wars for Haliburton? Being a leading edge boomer myself and having participated in the care and management of my dad and aunt with dimentia, loet me just say cancer is lucky because there is nothing worse than dimentia. This is true for the victim and the victim's family.

This problem can be managed. (none / 0) (#2)
by DallasBoy on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 06:21:43 AM EST

There's no doubt you can decrease your odds of all sorts of chronic problems if you keep up an exercise program of weight training as well as aerobic training, eat your fruits and vegetables, and keep your mind active. Even learing a language badly, for example, helps with that one. And it takes a lot less to give your muscles what they need than you think. Aerobic exercise has just been proven effective in keeping you sharp.

You can either be healthy until your final days -- when you hit a rapid decline -- our you can lurch to your grave for years on end. You got the power.

You'll need to do this anyway if you want to be at all useful in the war with the fascists.

: But (none / 0) (#9)
by HeadScratcher on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 12:31:03 PM EST

but if you did what you say then you couldn't blame it on evil drug companies, genetically modified foods, or even Dick Cheney (I'm still getting a chuckle out of the comment by above). Why take some of your own responsibility for a quality of life when you can blame the evil corporations?

: You keep on believing that.... (none / 0) (#11)
by dkmich on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 04:29:02 PM EST

Genes is much more important than anything. They have the power. Let me see. My dad died at 90 with dementia. My mom is going on 96, and she is not having dementia. However, she can't tell time any longer and gets confused. There is a huge difference between getting old and forgetful vs. dementia.

Increase? (none / 0) (#10)
by LarryE on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 02:51:02 PM EST

I don't know that this is "not good news for baby boomers." Or, more exactly, any worse for baby boomers than for anyone before. The first sentence of the article says the increase "supports the long-forecast dementia epidemic as the population grays."

It doesn't say the rate of Alzheimer's is increasing, the numbers are - because there are more elderly people, and "age is the biggest risk factor." Neither does the existence of undiagnosed cases say that: That may mean your risk of contracting Alzheimer's is greater than you thought it was but it doesn't mean it is greater than it actually was.

Bottom line: This provides no support for a contention that baby boomers are at any greater risk of dementia than anyone before (or, since the projections go to 2050, anyone after). So chill.

: No, but we will blow the budgets and (none / 0) (#12)
by dkmich on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 04:30:55 PM EST

destroy our children's lives - IF we don't find a way to take care of ourselves in our demented states. People with dementia require 24/7 care by multiple people all with the patience of a saint. Our system is NOT set up to deal with any of this.