Monday, August 9, 2010

Does early-onset Alzheimer's progress at a faster rate?

There's a perception that it does, but it's not backed up by hard data. It depends on what endpoint you're using in your measurement. If you use admission to a nursing home, that may occur earlier for the early-onset group — but only because their spouses have so many other things on their plates. 

For example, people who have early-onset Alzheimer's often still have children at home. They or their spouses may have elderly parents that need care, too. That generation often is sandwiched between caring for their ailing parents and caring for their teenage children at the same time. Adding in a spouse with Alzheimer's can simply be too much to handle. 

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