The month of June is draped in purple, dedicated to Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness. At present, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is not a curable disease. The prevalence of AD in our aging population is frightening, affecting 10% of those over age 60, 20% of those over age 70, and 30% of those over age 80. There are roughly 5 to 6 million AD patients in the US and an equal number of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), memory loss, but not enough loss of function to be called AD. In general, MCI is a precursor to AD, with 80% eventually developing AD, at the rate of 15% per year. The good news – AD is largely preventable, often reversible, and new research suggests targeted therapies addressing poor nutritional status, inflammatory and environmental contributors will be the key player in averting the epidemic of cognitive decline.
