From the Editor

Simple slips of memory happen to just about everyone. How often have you purposefully walked into a room only to forget why you went there? How many times have you misplaced your reading glasses? Your car keys? You aren’t alone. If you are over age 65, the time of life when dementia becomes more prevalent, these memory lapses may seem scarier. Is this it, you may wonder. Is this how Alzheimer’s disease starts? Alzheimer’s disease is common enough that you probably know at least one person who has or had the disease.

Your risk for Alzheimer’s disease does increase with age, but it’s important to know that not all problems with memory lead to dementia. There are changes in memory that are normal with aging, but they do not interfere with the ability to function. When dementia does strike, the memory problems tend to be distinctive and other cognitive problems also arise, like impairments in reasoning, judgment, language, and abstract thinking.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are some hopeful developments. For example, some evidence suggests that the incidence of dementia has actually been declining. This may, in part, reflect a success story about reductions in risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which also raise risk for dementia.

While researchers haven’t yet pinpointed the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease, let alone found a cure, progress is being made. New drugs are being developed, and studies are underway to identify the condition early on. The hope is that some day people with high risk can have treatments started before symptoms even appear, and therefore the illness will be preventable.

This report contains information for those concerned about getting Alzheimer’s disease and those who have been diagnosed with it, as well as caregivers of people with dementia. It will help you identify the differences between normal memory changes and dementia. It also presents the research on what may put some people at greater risk, and sorts out the often conflicting reports about how to reduce risk. You will learn what is known about Alzheimer’s disease, and what research laboratories are discovering. For those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, there is helpful information about caregiving, as well as some practical advice on legal, financial, and healthcare arrangements. We hope you find this information useful.

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