* Alzheimer’s is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain
* It is the most common form of dementia, followed by Vascular Dementia and related diseases, such as Frontotemporal Dementia and Dementia with Lewy bodies, among others
* The disease causes a decline in memory, language, judgment, and the ability to plan and organize. Most individuals with Alzheimer’s will progress to experience some degree of behavioral changes, which can be especially hard on caregivers. Eventually individuals will lose ability to respond to the environment, communicate verbally, and control movement.
* It’s estimated that 35.6 million people worldwide will be living with dementia in 2010
* Numbers are expected to double every 20 years
* Currently, 5.3 million individuals in the US are living with Alzheimer’s, and over half a million Canadians
* Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s Disease
* Although often thought of as an older person’s disease, people in their 40s and 50s can develop Alzheimer’s
* At present, there is no cure or prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease, only a few drugs are available to help treat the symptoms, but even those don’t work in all patients
* For more information, please go to www.alzheimer.ca or www.alz.org
