Worried You Will End Up With Dementia? You Aren’t Alone.

A couple of weeks back, the New York Times ran a story that I suspect rings true for many of us. Stalked by the Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You discusses the reaction many of us have when we forget something-whether a name or the location of our keys.

“Many people … who’ve watched this cruel illness destroy a family member, dread the prospect that they, too, might become demented. The lack of a cure or effective treatments only adds to the anxiety. It seems a common refrain, the news that another treatment to stop Alzheimer’s has failed.”  The article discusses the tests that screen for the disease and the wisdom of getting tested when someone from your family had the disease. After discussing the various testing methods, the article reviews recommendations from the experts. “Several experts recommend that people concerned about their Alzheimer’s risk get a baseline set of neuropsychological tests, followed by repeat tests if and when they start experiencing worrisome symptoms.”  Others suggest “physical inactivity, hearing loss, depression, obesity, hypertension, smoking, social isolation, diabetes and low education levels raise the risk of dementia. All of these factors are modifiable.” 

When there is no cure (yet) would you rather know, or not?