NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s — once every minute. And the rate is growing, frighteningly.
The symptoms can be subtle and leave everyone wondering…is something really wrong? Or is it just what happens as we get older?
It leaves many struggling, asking when is the right time to do something about it? And who do we turn to?
We turned to NYU Langone’s Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment — one of the places dedicated to giving people the answers they so desperately want and so desperately need.
“It’s a process that usually starts in the home, a patient — or one of their loved ones — realizing something may not be right. It may be hard to know what the next steps are and after that, it may also be hard, but worth it,” Dr. Arjun Masurkar said.
And for those who are afraid to know the results?
“I would say knowledge is king,” Dr. Evan Schulze responded.
Dr. Schulze and Dr. Masurkar are experts in their field, working together to help the growing number of people who are battling Alzheimer’s.
“So what do you tell people when they come to ask you, ‘Doctor, what do I do?'” Bill Ritter asked.
“First, it depends on how old the person is,” Masurkar said. “Once we enter the 60s, 70s, then I think having a discussion about perhaps some baseline screening might be of value.”
“And typically, patients find their way to me when they’ve been referred by one of their physicians, like a neurologist or a geriatrician,” Schulze added. “If there’s concern for changes in things like memory or word finding or different aspects of thinking skills, that might be the earliest clinical signs for a cognitive condition.”
This disease is so much more complicated than losing your keys. Experts say your first stop is your primary care physical, where you can bring up all the concerns you have.
Then, they’ll be able to do basic assessments to see if you need more attention. And if you do, that’s when experts turn to cognitive tests.
“They are probably the best way to determine where you stand with your memory and other aspects of your thinking,” Masurkar said.
And those tests can vary from a few minutes to a few hours.
The tests are not easy, but the goal isn’t so much about acing the exam. It’s about finding weaknesses in our brains. And it’s also not just for older people.
Schulze said they’re starting to see more individuals come in, interested in a cognitive baseline if they have a family history or if they’ve done genetic testing and found genetic risk factors.
“There’s (certainly been) a groundswell of individuals that are interested in establishing ‘Where am I right now,’ so they can establish a baseline for future comparison,” Schulze said.
Doctors warn that getting a diagnosis can be a long process. And then, if needed, getting treatment is even longer. If that’s the course, then they suggest making changes to improve your life now.
“What I would say about lifestyle is that there are certain domains of lifestyle management that can have a big impact on brain health,” Masurkar said.
Masurkar listed four domains: physical exercise, diet, socializing, and stimulating the brain.
“There are some studies showing that a combination of these lifestyle approaches could slow down the risk or progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” Masurkar said.
