Guidelines Allow Earlier Definition of Alzheimer's

This article discusses the new definition of Alzheimer's recently released which includes an earlier stage of the disease in addition to the other two already in existence. This new stage is necessary because by the time most people today are diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they have been experiencing symptoms for many years and it is too late to treat the disease. The new stage is diagnosed before symptoms start becoming readily visible but changes can be observed withing the brain. Alzheimer's is a disease which very little is still known about and there is not much treatment for it at this time. Another reason for this change in the definition is because of the need for more research on Alzheimer's so effective drugs can be developed. When people today are diagnosed, it is usually too late to do much research about the disease and try to find effective drugs or treatment. The scientists and doctors are hopeful this new definition will allow for better research and subsequent treatments to be discovered.

Alzheimer's disease covers many aspects of global health and is very different than many other mental illnesses. Unlike depression or other mental illnesses, I do not believe that Alzheimer's carries any negative stigma with it whatsoever. Instead, it generates and sympathy because of its long and debilitating nature. This makes it easier in some regards to diagnose patients early. People are going to want to know if they have Alzheimer's as soon as possible so that they can take steps to slow the onset of symptoms. Someone suffering from depression is much less likely to ask the doctor if there is anything that can be done for example. The article talked about the diagnosis of Alzheimer's using biomarkers as a way to predict the onset of Alzheimer's much like is used for heart disease already. The more people researchers can see in the early stages of the disease, the more able they will be to find a treatment.

The search for a cure or effective treatment is very important because the prevalence of Alzheimer's is expected to triple in the next 15 years. With no cure, Alzheimer's could become an even bigger problem than it already is today. It is a helpful step as well that a program has been set up to help fund treatment and research of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's in early stages. This will allow the effort to treat people earlier more effective because many people will likely not want to pay for treatment of a disease that is not affecting them and won't affect them for many years.

It is necessary that the public be educated by doctors about the early signs of Alzheimer's and to not be afraid to ask for tests. The earlier it is detected, the more effective treatment can be. Researchers are expecting to make rapid progress in finding an effective treatment with the cooperation of more patients in the early stages. The funding for this treatment was a great idea and will be very helpful. As more information is discovered about Alzheimer's, this definition will undoubtedly change again. The article talked about how the nature of Alzheimer's is not well understood by the general public but did not answer the question of how doctors and researchers plan to fix this problem so the research can be most effective.