Learning more about Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness month.
One of the most common questions for the Alzheimer’s Society of New Brunswick is about dementia.
Are alzheimer’s and dementia the same thing?
“Dementia is the umbrella term, and then there are all different forms of Dementia that fall underneath it. Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent. So it’s about 60 to 65 per cent of all dementias are Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Society Executive Director Chandra McBean.
She compared the disease to cancer. You could be diagnosed with different types of cancer with their own set of symptoms and a different approach to dealing with them.
“It’s similar to dementia. So Alzheimer’s disease is one form, the most prevalent form, and the one we know the most about. But there are all different types of Dementia that fall under that umbrella as well, and each of them may have similarities, but there are also things that are quite unique to each,” McBean added.
She added that some are in their late 30s and early 40s who are diagnosed, and the numbers are rising.
“There are a number of contributing factors. We do have an aging population. So your chances increase as you age, but also, one of the other contributing factors is that we’re better at assessing and diagnosing dementia. So it’s kind of a combination of the two. People are more aware and are able to access a diagnosis,” McBean explained.
Another question the Society is often asked is whether Dementia and Alzheimer’s are hereditary.
McBean says genetics does play a role, but it’s a much smaller factor than we think.
“The number one contributing factor is lifestyle. Keeping our heart healthy and keeping our body healthy. Obesity is a risk factor. Heart disease is a risk factor. Unmanaged sugar levels, so if you’re diabetic and you’re not managing your sugars, they can contribute to a diagnosis of dementia,” McBean stressed.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. It is a degenerative, progressive disease of the brain, and it results in cell death.
But McBean says it is a long journey, because people diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s can live a long, quality, fulfilled life.
“It is a fatal diagnosis. It is a fatal disease. But the progression varies from person to person. So there are individuals who can live well for five to 10 years. Often times what we hear from families is when they really start noticing the symptoms, when they look back, two, three, sometimes even five years, they can see that the person has had symptoms for much longer than they realized. If you’re otherwise healthy, you can live a long and quality-filled life, even with a diagnosis of dementia,” McBean said.
If you would like more information about Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia, you can contact the New Brunswick Alzheimer Society.
“We have five resource centres across the province, but we also have a toll-free line that people can call. You can email us, or stop by one of those resource centres,” McBean said.
“We really encourage people not to wait. Sometimes when we hear from families, it’s when they’ve already reached a point where they are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe they’ve reached a point where the care for the person that they care for is becoming unmanageable. We really encourage people to reach out sooner than they think, because that way we can make sure they have information well in advance, and we can help them plan for the future.”
