Fact or Myth???

There are many myths surrounding Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association notes that the following eight are among those most often misunderstood.

1. Memory loss is a natural part of aging. There are certainly occasional lapses of memory associated with aging but memory loss from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is more than occasional and is permanent.

2. Alzheimer’s disease is not necessarily fatal. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s is always fatal though the length of time one survives from this disease varies.

3. Only older people can get Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is certainly more prevalent for those 65 and older but it also affects between 200,000 and a half million of those under 65, some even in their thirties.

4. Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. This myth began in the 60’s but research has shown this to be untrue.

5. Aspartame causes memory loss. Health effects of this artificial sweetener have been raised but there is no scientific evidence to support this and many studies have been done to reach this conclusion.

6. Flu shots increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Actually, several studies link flu shots to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and overall better health.

7. Silver dental fillings increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease. There is in scientific evidence that supports a relationship between silver dental fillings and Alzheimer’s disease.

8. There are treatments available to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. At this time, there is not treatment to cure, delay or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. FDA-approved drugs temporarily slow worsening of symptoms for about 6 to 12 months, on average, for about half of the individuals who take them.

And my own #9. There is nothing we can do personally about this devastating disease. As I’ve written about in this blog already and will continue to write about, there is much we can do – both to support research into finding a way to cure, delay or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and in dealing with the environmental factors that may lead to our individual problems with cognition.