Washington: Nearly 200,000 Americans suffer from “early onset Alzheimer’s disease”, the condition that took the life on this Tuesday of Pat Summitt, a legendary basketball coach at the age of 64 years. She has diagnosed five years ago with the illness.
The symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease
According to the statement issued by Maria Carrillo, chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Association to the USA today, “the symptom including, memory loss, are similar, no matter when the ailment strikes. However, the primary difference is the age at which the symptoms occurs.
According to the James Leverenz, a neurologist and director of the Cleveland Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, “At the age of 40s and 50s the early onset Alzheimer’s disease strikes”. It is a decade or earlier than Alzheimer’s disease we knew.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, typically the Alzheimer’s disease is an ailment of ageing. After the completion of 65 years of age, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubled in every five years. After the 85 years of age, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease reaches nearly to 50%.
As per the Mayo Clinic, “In addition to memory loss, other symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease include, restlessness, trouble performing familiar tasks, confusion, poor judgement, misplacing things, impaired communication, a problem with language, loss of motivation.”
The early onset Alzheimer’s disease affecting the 5 percent of 5 million American population according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
What treatments are available?
As per the Alzheimer’s Association, the FDA has approved the five drugs to treat the symptoms of the disease. They can improve the thinking and memory problems in about of half of them who consume them. However, none of the drugs help people live longer or slow down the progress of the disease. Hence, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s.
Also the Alzheimer’s Association said, several experimental drugs aim to stop the creation of the brain tangles and plaques that are the mark of Alzheimer’s disease.
