Alzheimer's: Is it a one-way road to emptiness?

The Disease
Dementia, a progressive brain dysfunction, leads to a gradually increasing restriction of daily activities. The most well-known type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.

The frequency of dementia increases with rising age from less than 2 % for the 65-69-year-olds, to 5 % for the 75-79 year-olds and to more than 20 % for the 85-89 year-olds. Every third person over 90 years of age suffers from moderate or severe dementia (Bickel, Psycho 1996, 4-8).

People with Alzheimer suffer mainly from limitations of concentration, impared memeory and orientation, planning and judgement, personality changes and later in it's progression perceptual, speech and walking disorders; in the final stage, various other body functions such as swallowing and the excretion process are also affected. As Alzheimer's disease progresses, patients lose their independence in managing everyday life.

The Outlook
If your like me, I want to know, will I develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease as I grow older. Well, I'm at risk, but I'm doing one thing right now to help prevent it's onset. I'm attending college. Although, women are considered at higher risk for developing the disease, it has also been found that it is more prevelent in those with lower educational levels.

While those diagnosed with the disease, can find balance in spatial and organiztional prompts in their daily lives, the need of a caregiver to maintain these prompts is imparitive. As with numerous other diseases there is no cure for the illness but medication can improve symptoms. There are drugs on the market today for improving brain function. Typically antidementia or psychotropic drugs are prescribed.