MEDICAL SURFARI: ALZHEIMER'S STEALS BRAINS

Delicate durability describes the human body, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the human brain. For most of us, our mind serves us well until we no longer need it, that is, when we die. However, for others who suffer from the ravages of dementia, a loss of intellectual function (thinking, remembering and reasoning), the mind may begin to resign before the rest of the body.

Alzheimer's disease (pronounced alz'-hi-merz) is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and steals the mind. This results in memory loss, loss in communication abilities and changes in behavior. It destroys one's ability to think and reason effectively. It can become so severe that it prevents one from taking care of their most basic needs. This may eventually result in death.

Misplacing your car keys, missing an appointment or forgetting about something left cooking on the stove is normal absent-mindedness. Forgetting what your car keys are for, or why you have an appointment with your physician, or how to turn on the stove is more likely to be dementia.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. AD is the fourth leading cause of death in adults, only exceeded by heart disease, cancer and stroke. Men and women are affected almost equally; most are over age 65.

AD afflicts nearly four million Americans currently but because the risk of developing AD increases markedly with age, the disease is expected to balloon in the next two decades as baby boomers pass into their golden years. The Alzheimer's Association estimates the current cost to our society at $100 billion a year; consequently, there has been an intense push to find a cure, or at the very least, a cost-effective therapy for this disease. Because of the enormous strain the disease imposes on our healthcare system and the large number of people affected, there has been an unusually high level of research activity lately.

World Wide Web is an extraordinarily rich resource for rapid access to information on a variety of medical topics -- AD is no exception.

World Wide Web

Alzheimer's Association

www.alz.org/

National Institutes of Health

www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/alzheim.htm

Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral

adearweb@alzheimers.org

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702.