Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia
Judith Martinez, MPH, CHA shares the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease, the risk factors, early warning signs, when to seek help and resources available for families at TVH.
Featured Speaker:
Judith Martinez, MPH, CHA
Judith Martinez, MPH, CHA is the Program and Education Manager for the Alzheimer's Association Transcription:
Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia
Melanie Cole (Host): We’ve all misplaced keys, blanked on someone’s name or forgotten a phone number. We don’t tend to pay too much attention to these lapses but as we grow older, we sometimes worry about what they mean. This is TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. I’m Melanie Cole and today we’re discussing Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Joining me is Judith Martinez. She’s the Program and Education Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. Judith, it’s a pleasure to have you with us. I would like to start by asking you for the listeners; is memory loss a normal part of aging? Is it something that’s inevitable or not necessarily?
Judith Martinez, MPH, CHA (Guest): No, actually it’s not a normal part of life. Sometimes we hear myths like it’s okay to have a little touch of dementia, but it’s not okay. So, if you see some symptoms like memory loss, having trouble remembering words, problems with thinking, navigation, behavior, personality or mood changes, having trouble planning and organizing; then you have to see your doctor. We recommend to speak with your primary care provider so that they can do some tests to figure out if it's dementia related to Alzheimer’s Disease or if it’s anything else.
Host: Well thank you for that answer. So, what is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Judith: So, that’s the number one question we get. I think dementia is a group of symptoms caused by Alzheimer’s Disease. So, the most common cause of dementia is directly related to Alzheimer’s Disease with about 70% of the cases. There are other diseases that cause dementia. There’s different types of dementia like vascular dementia, and that’s when someone has a stroke or a series of mini strokes. Or Lewy Body dementia and that’s the type that Robin Williams, the comedian had. And actually he was not diagnosed properly, they thought, the doctors thought that it was just Parkinson’s that he had. So, there’s FTD, frontotemporal lobe degeneration and there’s other types that are reversible like when someone has a tumor, or they are low on a certain vitamin or they have anemia or an infection.
So, it’s important to talk to your primary care provider if you have any symptoms of dementia to see which type you have and if it can be treated.
Host: Well that’s really great advice. So, tell us what is Alzheimer’s Disease? Is it hereditary? Tell us a little bit about it.
Judith: Sure, so, Alzheimer’s Disease is a brain disorder. It is a progressive disease. So, it gets worse with time. It’s the most common form of dementia as I mentioned. It has no cure. And it’s eventually fatal. It affects about 5.8 million Americans today.
Host: So, what are the risk factors? Is it familial, there’s a genetic component to it? How would someone know if they are at risk?
Judith: So, the primary risk factor is age. Most people develop it after age 65. The risk doubles every five years after age 65. But some people younger than 65 do develop it. But it’s more rare. And we have a higher incidence in women, so two thirds of all the cases are found in women and we don’t know exactly why. For a long time, experts used to think that it was related to women living longer but now they are thinking that it has to do with genetics and hormones and so they are studying that to figure out why women get it more. Also, it is – you can see it in higher rates with people that have Down’s Syndrome. Also if you have family history, you risk increases. That doesn’t mean that someone will develop it for sure. For example, my grandmother has Alzheimer’s Disease and she also has diabetes. So, someone with cardiovascular disease has a higher risk so it is important to monitor your numbers for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, monitor your diabetic numbers so that’s very important to do.
And also, it’s related to genetics as well. There are two type of genes; risk genes and deterministic genes. So, it’s a combination of factors. Also people that have lower formal education will have a higher risk. Someone who had a car accident or someone who plays sports like boxing or football. Those people will have a higher risk because of hits to the head. So, those are some of the risk factors.
Host: Well you mentioned that it can’t be cured. There is no cure as of right now and plenty of research going on. But can it be slowed or prevented Judith? Are there treatment options for dementia? Is there anything that can stop or slow or reverse the disease process at all? What are some treatments? What are they intended to do?
Judith: So, right now, the treatments that we have available don’t help with disease progression. They only help with symptoms unfortunately. But we’re working through our research branch on finding a way to prevent it and slow it and cure it. For example, we launched a study called US Pointer where we recruited or we’re in the process of recruiting about 2000 participants to find a recipe for people to follow in order to say that this disease can be prevented. And we are replicating a study that was done in Finland where they found that people that had better nutrition, exercised more often, did cognitive activities, so exercise their brain and also were socially engaged; they showed a lower risk of developing this disease. So, right now we’re conducting a similar study here in the United States and also sponsoring or funding similar studies throughout the world. I think we have about seven sites or something like that.
And we’re trying to find a way to prevent it and we’re getting closer to find a way to slow it. There is a medication that is very close to getting approved to slow the disease progression. So, I think it’s very hopeful and there’s a lot of great things coming out in the research world right now. So, it’s very exciting.
Host: Judith, one of the things that goes on when somebody suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s is, they have a caregiver and that caregiver has a lot of stress. They have a tough time sometimes. Do you have any recommendations as you work for the Alzheimer’s Association. What do you want caregivers to know about what they’re doing for their loved one and the resources that are available to help them?
Judith: Yes, actually we want the caregivers to know that they are not alone. We have a lot of resources available. As you know, our organization is nationwide. So, if someone lives in New York and they have a parent here in California and they need information, or they need to get connected to resources; we can do that. So, we have an 800 number which is 24/7 where a caregiver can talk to a clinician for free and they can talk about issues with behavior. If they have questions about how to deal with a certain behavior or they just need information about the disease or if they have questions about treatments or for example, they need an adult day care center near them. Or if they need help with respite care; we can connect them to funding to grants that they can get to receive additional help because this disease is 24/7 and it can become very overwhelming for caregivers.
So, there’s a lot of resources that we can offer through our 800 number and we definitely recommend caregivers to call us. The number is 800-272-3900 again, that’s 800-272-3900 or they can visit our website at www.alz.org. We also have a lot of classes happening in or near Temecula. Classes in English and Spanish and also, we have support groups in person and over the phone. We actually have one support group in Temecula at the Mary Phillips Senior Center. We have another one in the city of Murrieta and others throughout the Inland Empire so we want caregivers to know that they can reach out for support and that they are not alone.
Host: That’s great. Thank you so much Judith and that number is 1-800-272-3900 or you can visit www.alz.org for more resources on Alzheimer’s and help for caregivers and the families that are going through this right now. Thank you again for joining us. And that concludes this episode of TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. Please visit our website at www.temeculavalleyhospital.com for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Temecula Valley Hospital podcasts. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Temecula Valley Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole.
Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia
Melanie Cole (Host): We’ve all misplaced keys, blanked on someone’s name or forgotten a phone number. We don’t tend to pay too much attention to these lapses but as we grow older, we sometimes worry about what they mean. This is TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. I’m Melanie Cole and today we’re discussing Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Joining me is Judith Martinez. She’s the Program and Education Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. Judith, it’s a pleasure to have you with us. I would like to start by asking you for the listeners; is memory loss a normal part of aging? Is it something that’s inevitable or not necessarily?
Judith Martinez, MPH, CHA (Guest): No, actually it’s not a normal part of life. Sometimes we hear myths like it’s okay to have a little touch of dementia, but it’s not okay. So, if you see some symptoms like memory loss, having trouble remembering words, problems with thinking, navigation, behavior, personality or mood changes, having trouble planning and organizing; then you have to see your doctor. We recommend to speak with your primary care provider so that they can do some tests to figure out if it's dementia related to Alzheimer’s Disease or if it’s anything else.
Host: Well thank you for that answer. So, what is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Judith: So, that’s the number one question we get. I think dementia is a group of symptoms caused by Alzheimer’s Disease. So, the most common cause of dementia is directly related to Alzheimer’s Disease with about 70% of the cases. There are other diseases that cause dementia. There’s different types of dementia like vascular dementia, and that’s when someone has a stroke or a series of mini strokes. Or Lewy Body dementia and that’s the type that Robin Williams, the comedian had. And actually he was not diagnosed properly, they thought, the doctors thought that it was just Parkinson’s that he had. So, there’s FTD, frontotemporal lobe degeneration and there’s other types that are reversible like when someone has a tumor, or they are low on a certain vitamin or they have anemia or an infection.
So, it’s important to talk to your primary care provider if you have any symptoms of dementia to see which type you have and if it can be treated.
Host: Well that’s really great advice. So, tell us what is Alzheimer’s Disease? Is it hereditary? Tell us a little bit about it.
Judith: Sure, so, Alzheimer’s Disease is a brain disorder. It is a progressive disease. So, it gets worse with time. It’s the most common form of dementia as I mentioned. It has no cure. And it’s eventually fatal. It affects about 5.8 million Americans today.
Host: So, what are the risk factors? Is it familial, there’s a genetic component to it? How would someone know if they are at risk?
Judith: So, the primary risk factor is age. Most people develop it after age 65. The risk doubles every five years after age 65. But some people younger than 65 do develop it. But it’s more rare. And we have a higher incidence in women, so two thirds of all the cases are found in women and we don’t know exactly why. For a long time, experts used to think that it was related to women living longer but now they are thinking that it has to do with genetics and hormones and so they are studying that to figure out why women get it more. Also, it is – you can see it in higher rates with people that have Down’s Syndrome. Also if you have family history, you risk increases. That doesn’t mean that someone will develop it for sure. For example, my grandmother has Alzheimer’s Disease and she also has diabetes. So, someone with cardiovascular disease has a higher risk so it is important to monitor your numbers for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, monitor your diabetic numbers so that’s very important to do.
And also, it’s related to genetics as well. There are two type of genes; risk genes and deterministic genes. So, it’s a combination of factors. Also people that have lower formal education will have a higher risk. Someone who had a car accident or someone who plays sports like boxing or football. Those people will have a higher risk because of hits to the head. So, those are some of the risk factors.
Host: Well you mentioned that it can’t be cured. There is no cure as of right now and plenty of research going on. But can it be slowed or prevented Judith? Are there treatment options for dementia? Is there anything that can stop or slow or reverse the disease process at all? What are some treatments? What are they intended to do?
Judith: So, right now, the treatments that we have available don’t help with disease progression. They only help with symptoms unfortunately. But we’re working through our research branch on finding a way to prevent it and slow it and cure it. For example, we launched a study called US Pointer where we recruited or we’re in the process of recruiting about 2000 participants to find a recipe for people to follow in order to say that this disease can be prevented. And we are replicating a study that was done in Finland where they found that people that had better nutrition, exercised more often, did cognitive activities, so exercise their brain and also were socially engaged; they showed a lower risk of developing this disease. So, right now we’re conducting a similar study here in the United States and also sponsoring or funding similar studies throughout the world. I think we have about seven sites or something like that.
And we’re trying to find a way to prevent it and we’re getting closer to find a way to slow it. There is a medication that is very close to getting approved to slow the disease progression. So, I think it’s very hopeful and there’s a lot of great things coming out in the research world right now. So, it’s very exciting.
Host: Judith, one of the things that goes on when somebody suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s is, they have a caregiver and that caregiver has a lot of stress. They have a tough time sometimes. Do you have any recommendations as you work for the Alzheimer’s Association. What do you want caregivers to know about what they’re doing for their loved one and the resources that are available to help them?
Judith: Yes, actually we want the caregivers to know that they are not alone. We have a lot of resources available. As you know, our organization is nationwide. So, if someone lives in New York and they have a parent here in California and they need information, or they need to get connected to resources; we can do that. So, we have an 800 number which is 24/7 where a caregiver can talk to a clinician for free and they can talk about issues with behavior. If they have questions about how to deal with a certain behavior or they just need information about the disease or if they have questions about treatments or for example, they need an adult day care center near them. Or if they need help with respite care; we can connect them to funding to grants that they can get to receive additional help because this disease is 24/7 and it can become very overwhelming for caregivers.
So, there’s a lot of resources that we can offer through our 800 number and we definitely recommend caregivers to call us. The number is 800-272-3900 again, that’s 800-272-3900 or they can visit our website at www.alz.org. We also have a lot of classes happening in or near Temecula. Classes in English and Spanish and also, we have support groups in person and over the phone. We actually have one support group in Temecula at the Mary Phillips Senior Center. We have another one in the city of Murrieta and others throughout the Inland Empire so we want caregivers to know that they can reach out for support and that they are not alone.
Host: That’s great. Thank you so much Judith and that number is 1-800-272-3900 or you can visit www.alz.org for more resources on Alzheimer’s and help for caregivers and the families that are going through this right now. Thank you again for joining us. And that concludes this episode of TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. Please visit our website at www.temeculavalleyhospital.com for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Temecula Valley Hospital podcasts. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Temecula Valley Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole.