Alzheimer's disease will affect us all eventually

by Arnie Thompson for Great Falls TribuneLarry LeMaster met his wife when he was in high school in Nampa, Idaho, in the 1950s.His wife, Janette, was only 15 when they started dating. Larry, who was two years ahead of her in school, stayed close by for college so he could see her often. Janette's twin sister even went to her classes for her so she could have a mid-afternoon date with her boyfriend.Now more than 50 years and three children later, Janette is dying of Alzheimer's disease. The bubbly, outgoing woman who used to greet customers at the Bon Marche in downtown Great Falls is gone."She knew everyone in town," LeMaster said. "Everybody shopped at the Bon." Now she can't speak or show much emotion, though she seems to know her high school sweetheart is important to her.For LeMaster, Alzheimer's is obviously an important issue. But for those who do not have a loved one suffering from dementia, why should you care?There are 1.1 trillion reasons. If a cure, or even a way to stop the progression of the disease is not found, it is estimated that the costs to care for those with the disease will reach $1.1 trillion by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association.This year, the direct societal costs of caring for those with Alzheimer's will total an estimated $200 billion, including $140 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. The average Medicare costs per person for those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are three times higher than for those without these conditions. Medicaid is 19 times as high, the association reports.You should care about finding a cure for Alzheimer's.As baby boomers age, the number of those with Alzheimer's is increasing. With that, the costs of caring for those with this debilitating disease also are increasing. Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. By 2050 the Alzheimer's Association reports that as many as 16 million people will have the disease.In addition, recurrent concussions and traumatic brain injury have been linked to a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, putting not only football players and other athletes at higher risk, but also the military.Some studies show that older veterans who have experienced traumatic brain injury have an increased risk of developing dementia. Researchers reviewed medical records of veterans 55 years old and older. The risk of dementia was 15.3 percent in those with traumatic brain injury compared to 6.8 percent in those without that diagnosis."The concern is we have hundreds of thousands of Marines coming home who have been exposed to blasts," said George Carlson, director of the McLaughlin Research Center in Great Falls. Carlson is one of the leading U.S. scientists in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.You should join him in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's.Alzheimer's makes treating other diseases more expensive, as well.Most of those who suffer from Alzheimer's have one or more other serious medical conditions, and dementia complicates the management of these conditions. For example, a senior with diabetes and Alzheimer's costs Medicare 81 percent more than a senior who has diabetes alone, according to the Alzheimer's Association.You should care about finding a cure for Alzheimer's.It's not just those with the disease who are suffering. In 2011, 15.2 million family and friends provided 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. That is care that is valued at $210.5 billion.And because of the physical and emotional toll of caregiving on their own health, Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers had $8.7 billion in additional health care costs in 2011.You should care about finding a cure for Alzheimer's.Sporadic or late-onset Alzheimer's, accounts for about 90 percent of all cases. If you reach the age of 85, YOU and your sweetheart have a 43 percent chance of having Alzheimer's, whether it runs in your family or not.Start caring today before you wished you had.Picture Source: Clint Randall