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Introduction
Many diseases, conditions, and illnesses affect people globally every day, and it is virtually impossible to grasp the whole scale of dangers that medical issues pose to humanity. However, it is vital to be well-informed about a particular illness when newly diagnosed. The specific disease, widespread or not, also affects not only the patient, but their family, social circle, and, even nationwide, the society and economy. Alzheimers disease, as a significant cause of age-related dementia, is an acute example of how a condition can be detrimental to the patient individually and the society overall. The goal of this research paper is to analyze the importance of understanding Alzheimers disease for the general population, as well as the risks, mortality, and the effect of the illness socially, physically, and economically.
Personal Significance
This specific disorder is significant to me because it is widespread, yet majorly misunderstood illness that needs to be addressed more broadly and made accessible to the public. Given the tremendous effect that the disease has on a persons life, it is essential for both the patient and their family and close ones to understand and adequately address Alzheimers disease. I am a person whose close family member was diagnosed with age-related dementia, and the lack of proper understanding of the issue was problematic for me and the patient himself. Therefore, I chose Alzheimers disease as a topic for my research that aims to educate newly diagnosed patients.
Symptoms, Effects, and Life Expectancy
To understand the severity of the medical condition, it is essential to address the way patients are affected by it. According to Bachurin, Gavrilova, Samsonova, Barreto, and Aliev (2018), the symptoms of Alzheimers disease are characterized by age-related dementia that initiates as a mild memory malfunction that gradually progresses to become detrimental to ones everyday life. Failure in judgment, language impairment, visual deterioration, hallucinations and are some of the most common symptoms that patients with Alzheimers disease report in the early clinical stages of the condition.
However, the longer the person is left untreated, the more critical the symptoms become. Some of the more severe consequences of the illness include but are not limited to seizures, hearing, visual, and voice loss, anxiety disorder, and the features of Parkinsons disease (Bachurin et al., 2018, p. 217). Given the seriousness of Alzheimers, it is necessary to understand and acknowledge the symptoms to recognize them in a potential patient before they cross the threshold of becoming too severe. Once diagnosed, the victim of the illness has a life expectancy of eight to ten years; however, depending on the intensity of the case, this term can be shortened to only one year. Therefore, considering the life-disrupting symptoms and the clinical duration of the condition is critical in the initial stages of diagnosis.
Relevance for the General Population: Facts and Figures
Understanding the science and the development of Alzheimers disease is essential for the general population because it is a widespread illness with drastic medical, social, and economic consequences. The segment of the population that is directly affected is people 60-65 years old. Article 2016 Alzheimers disease facts and figures discovered that over five million people currently have Alzheimers disease in America, and this number is forecasted to at least double by 2050. According to Bird (2018), someone in the country develops Alzheimers disease every 66 seconds, but by 2050, one new case of Alzheimers is expected to develop every 33 seconds (p. 15). Even while the disease is not transmittable and does not pose a threat to others, its increasing spread and mortality rates are alarming. Currently, Alzheimers disease is one of five leading causes of death in the US (Bird, 2018). Although the condition may not directly affect some portion of the population, the gradual rise of Alzheimers disease nationwide guarantees that its effects are going to become even more detrimental.
The Cost of Alzheimers Disease: Economy and Society
Apart from the severe effect on the quality and length of living, Alzheimers disease also negatively influences the economic and social life of the patient and people around them. As it concerns the financial aspect of the issue, in 2015, more than 15 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of care to people with Alzheimers ( 2016 Alzheimers disease facts and figures, 2016, p. 459). That has been proven to be one of the reasons for the social exclusion of caregivers and patients. As per the cost of the treatment, people with diagnosed Alzheimers spend twice as much money on medication than any other person of that age. More than that, their Medicaid payments are 19 times as great ( 2016 Alzheimers disease facts and figures, 2016, p. 459). The overall spending on the long-term care for patients with Alzheimers disease averages at $236 billion annually, causing many families to sacrifice their savings, retirement funds, and day-to-day essentials for financially sustaining their sick relatives ( 2016 Alzheimers disease facts and figures, 2016, p. 459). Thus, the condition can be regarded as costly and long-term spending.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the facts and figures behind Alzheimers disease is essential for newly diagnosed patients, as well as their significant others. As a prevalent cause of age-related dementia, the illness gradually affects more people every year. Furthermore, it influences people and their social circles not only physically but also financially. Some of the readily available search terms for more information on the topic are Alzheimers disease clinical description, Alzheimers disease background, and Economics of Alzheimers.
References
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2016 Alzheimers disease facts and figures. (2016). Alzheimers & Dementia, 12(4), 459-509. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.03.001
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Bachurin, S. O., Gavrilova, S. I., Samsonova, A., Barreto, G. E., & Aliev, G. (2018). Mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer disease: Contemporary approaches to diagnostics and pharmacological intervention. Pharmacological Research, 129(1), 216-226. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2017.11.021
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Bird, T. D. (2018). Alzheimer disease overview. GeneReviews, 2(3), 1-19.
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