JUNE 2023 - 1
Brain Health Awareness for Aging Well and Thriving in the Second Half June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness month.
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According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and of those 6.7 million, 73% are over the age of 75. Additionally, the risk of dementia increases with age. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that 5% of people between the ages of 5065 live with Alzheimer’s dementia. The numbers increase to 13% for people 75+. Thirty-three percent of people 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. We noted in last month’s article on Huntington’s disease, dementia is an umbrella term including several forms of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. It is also possible to have more than one cause at a time, a condition termed mixed dementia. Dementia also shows up as an occasional consequence in other disease processes including Huntington’s disease, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Parkinson’s disease. For most people living with dementia, the focus is on slowing the progression and increasing the overall quality of life.
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ASK THE EXPERT: COMFORT FOOD INFOGRAPHIC: FUN PET FACTS FEATURE: BRAIN HEALTH AWARENESS FOR AGING WELL AND THRIVING IN THE SECOND HALF THE MIND DIET EYE HEALTH: OCULAR HYPERTENSION