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What Is The Life Expectancy For Alzheimer Patient ?
The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is not only depressing for the patient since it is incurable but it also affects the care takers drastically. Firstly, for the care taker the diagnosis of the disease inducts the fear of losing the loved one and secondly, this disease calls for a large amount of responsibility on the part of the care taker. Gradually, with the passage of time the patient ends up becoming more and more dependent on others and needs support in every walk of life at every single minute. |
Studies conducted at the Center for Health Studies at Group Health Cooperative Center in Seattle in this field have projected a direct link between the life expectancy of an Alzheimer’s patient and the individual’s age and symptoms. The research was carried out on 521 residents of Seattle in the age bracket of 60 years and above diagnosed recently with Alzheimer’s. Regular checks were conducted on these patients for about 5 years. The research analysis involved memory tests, examination of other ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and depression; and following transformations in personality traits such as aggressiveness and feeling perplexed.
The findings of the study highlighted that in general the female patients survived for a longer duration in comparison to men. The ratio was found to be 6 years for women versus 4 years in men. Another significant conclusion was that older the patient at the time of diagnosis, the shorter the life expectancy. Thirdly, the severity of the symptoms at the time of diagnosis cast a direct effect on reduction in the survival span. People already suffering from heart problems or diabetes also demonstrated poor probability of survival.
Despite the conclusions drawn from such studies, it is important to remember that it is next to impossible to give a definite answer about the life expectancy of an Alzheimer’s patient. The severity of symptoms, stages of progression of the disease and survival time varies from one individual to another.
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