How Alzheimer's Actually Kills

[LongTomH]

From LiveScience: Glen Campbell's Death: How Does Alzheimer's Kill?:

Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011, at the age of 75, according to Rolling Stone. Later that year, he announced he was retiring because of his illness, and began a farewell tour that included 151 shows, Rolling Stone said.

Although Alzheimer's disease shortens people's life spans, it is usually not the direct cause of a person's death, according to the Alzheimer's Society, a charity in the United Kingdom for people with dementia. Rather, people die from complications from the illness, such as infections or blood clots.

..............//snip

Deaths from Alzheimer's disease are on the rise in the United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report found that the rate of death from Alzheimer's disease increased by more than 50 percent, from about 16 deaths per 100,000 people in 1999 to 25 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014.

The number of people who died from Alzheimer's also more than doubled during this period, from 44,536 deaths in 1999 to 93,541 deaths in 2014.

The increasing number of deaths from Alzheimer's is partly due to the growing number of older adults in the United States, as Alzheimer's disease most commonly affects adults ages 65 years and older, the CDC researchers said.

..............//snip

Still, overall, researchers may underestimate the true number of Alzheimer's deaths, since some doctors may report pneumonia or other complications as the cause of death, rather than Alzheimer's itself. A 2014 study estimated that as many as 500,000 people in the United States died from Alzheimer's in 2010.

[CentralMass]

1. Some promising research

http://newatlas.com/alzheimers-memory-loss-reversed-mice/50822/

[oasis]

2. ......Estimated 500,000 U.S. deaths in 2010. nt

That's something that will get attention.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. This is a serious problem in Rural America.

County Coroners more often than not,will list the death cause as something other than Alzheimer's or the direct cause.

[maxsolomon]

4. Why is it a problem?

Is that just a rural phenomenon?

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Wrong cause listed on the Death

Certificate which in turn leads to miss reporting on causes of death.

[maxsolomon]

8. but is that a rural thing?

and not an urban thing? I don't understand.

[grantcart]

9. In some rural areas the Coroner is not a doctor

I had a relative who was the only attorney in the area and by default became the coroner.

As this article explains

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question732.htm

And yes it was Washington State.

From the article:

The answer is resources. In most rural areas, there may not be a whole lot of qualified forensic pathologists around nor the facilities needed for them to do their jobs properly. Additionally, rural areas with very little or no violent crime or unexplainable deaths don't need a full-time forensic pathologist.

The second question is: What is a feed store coroner going to do when faced with a dead body?

Dr Kiesel answers, "He's gonna go out and say, 'Well, he's dead.' That's the coroner's official duty."

My relative told me that he had one horrific accident that crushed the vehicle and then burned for some time. He couldn't bear to get too close so he stood about 10 feet away and said "Yes they are both deceased".

[BannonsLiver]

6. I wonder if that might be related to long term consumption of well water?

[Justice]

10. No, my uncle died from it, never lived in facility or house with well water.

[WinkyDink]

5. Forgetting how to eat and swallow. Incorrect swallowng can lead to pneumonia and/or starvation.

[hunter]

11. In general, it's no longer being able to tell caregivers where it hurts.

I've sometimes thought veterinarians would be skillful doctors for Alzheimer's patients. Veterinarians might ask a patient what's wrong, but the patient isn't going to answer, and they don't expect them to.

Or maybe not. I also feel that when my mind is gone, I'm gone.

Don't take extraordinary measures to keep the lights on in an empty house.

[AngryAmish]

12. annd that is why I will say my goodbyes, visit my old golf course one last time

And take myself out before I am a burden.

I dealt with it. No one is going to wipe my ass.

[shanti]

13. Right

My paternal grandmother died from complications of Alzheimer's in 1988. She had dementia, was bedridden, hospitalized, and about to have one of her legs amputated, when she died. That's all I know, as she lived in another state. Dad wasn't that emotionally close to her and didn't see her before she died. Her husband, dad's stepfather, gave us the info.

I did a 23&Me DNA test and it showed I had a genetic marker that meant I have a higher risk of getting Alzheimer's myself, although my dad never got it. Scares the crap out of me, but at least I know what to expect in the future. Hoping for a cure!