What do you think caused it?
Comments
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The topic reminds me of the Buddhist parable about the poisoned arrow. Below is a paraphrased version.
"Suppose a man is struck by a poisoned arrow and the doctor wishes to take out the arrow immediately. Suppose the man does not want the arrow removed until he knows who shot it, his age, his parents, and why he shot it. What would happen? If he were to wait until all these questions have been answered, the man might die first." Life is so short. It must not be spent in endless metaphysical speculation that does not bring us any closer to the truth".
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Dementia "arrows " can't be removed. If only. And today are 100 per cent fatal.
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We live longer, environmental factors have changed, processed foods, etc etc etc. None of us can accurately point to any one thing except when there is a genetic component. My husbands family has not been genetically tested, but his mother, her father, 3 of her sisters, my husband and 4 of his siblings have it. My husbands is mixed ( vascular) and I’m guessing that’s from smoking. He was fit, active, ate healthy, but smoked. Go figure.
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My mother developed dementia and I always felt like it had to do with the chemo she took for cancer but her “chemo brain” got worse after she had to take my Dad off life support. He died in 2011 and the neurologist diagnosed her in 2016.
My FIL fell in 2020 and hit his head and subsequently ended up with a brain bleed that required surgery. His primary care allegedly told my MIL that he thought that contributed to his developing of dementia. He is also on statins and I have wondered if that contributes to his cognitive decline.
As far as I know neither of these LO’s has relatives who had dementia.
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Does it matter? Yes, but I will let the fields of science and medicine figure it out. I just needed to concentrate on being a good caregiver. That was hard enough.
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To those of us with a parent with AD and a strong family history - Yes, it absolutely does! The constant feeling that what could be a limited number of good days for me are being taken away is not at all conducive to being a good caregiver.
I recently read that glucosamine has been implicated in the rapid progression from MCI to Alz. My Mom doesn’t have any joint issues which is what people usually take it for. Nevertheless she took it for years. I stopped it several months ago just because there wasn’t a need. My Mom’s progression from MCI to Alz (severe impairment per her neuro psych evaluation) was ~ 2 years.
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For those that are caring for a spouse or partner, still pretty important if you have children together.
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I have spent hours trying to answer this question for my DH. He was a cardiologist, and had the healthiest habits of anyone I ever met. No family history of dementia. Never smoked. Never drank. Had not eaten meat or poultry for over 45 years. Had low-normal blood pressure. Was a fourth-degree martial artist (king fu) for 30 years. He had far better strength and balance than most people his age at diagnosis. He did have a family history of migraine and diabetes, though he was neither diabetic or pre-diabetic. Diagnosed with mixed dementia ( ALZ and VD) in June 2021, at age 73. Gone by October 2024. Go figure.
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I think what this dialogue highlights is that it's a complex disease about which we still know little. All of the factors noted — physical activity, hypertension, genetics, gender, sleep, diet, meds, etc. may contribute. But likely the most important factor is age (we living longer) for a lot of reasons including importantly that there has been considerable progress in treating cancers and heart disease so that they don't kill so many of us leaving more time for the onset of dementia. That leads to the question of why we have made more progress on some serious conditions than we have on dementia. I guess it's because there has been a stigma attached to cognitive decline. The good news is that there's certainly a lot of promising work underway on AD leading hopefully to progress on prevention, delaying onset (these two may really be one and the same), treatment, and disease reversal. One other things we're learning about in terms of cause is inflamation.
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While I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on both the complexity of this disease and the extended aging we are blessed with; it does not help me better understand how early onset is also on the rise and my DW in stage 5/6 is not likely to live past age 53.
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Three people I have loved developed dementia. All highly intelligent, very witty and verbal and all gentle thinkers and all in good health. Such good health thst none of them were ever on statins. I’m not saying you are wrong but statins is only one small thing that has become part of the modern world most of us live in. There have been great environmental, psychological, economic changes to name just a few. Or is it just that we are living longer and being diagnosed earlier?
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Unbelievable. This disease does not discriminate does it! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the response. I should probably stop trying to figure it out. I have a bad habit of living in the past sometimes.
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I remember as a kid , no phones, TV had no remote , lying on my bed watching clouds outside the window. Libraries were quiet, not noisy Starbucks/homeless shelters.
Maybe we are just burning up our brains earlier with the never ending THIS and THAT input . So our bodies last longer but the brain synapses go quicker……2 -
I just wonder if it's an autoimmune disease the has a genetic predisposition and is triggered by some unknown something specific to that individual. I've been hanging around MC with my DH for 3 years now and everyone is so different but with the same disease. In my DH case, his symptoms are so similar to what his aunt and uncle experienced but different from what I see in other people on his floor. A huge mystery that I wish someone could figure out.
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Interesting comments here and I really wish we could find a clear answer, but I do not think we will ever know because there are too many possible contributors and the range of suspects keeps changing.
I think genetics play a role, side effects from prescription medications and environmental toxins, and lifestyle. Also, we have no idea what we are eating when we get steaks or salads in restaurants because we have no idea what the cows are being fed and what is in the soil our vegetables are grown in. Overall, I do not think we can possibly prevent all causes.
There is also unreliable data the "medical community" has to work with because several people such as my mother have it but refuse to get tested. The number of those with dementia is likely under-reported. As for prescription drug side-effects, I do not trust the medical community to agree on disclosures of all potential risks because then nobody would take anything.
My mother was sharp as a tac, so intelligence does not seem to play a role. She was socially connected and never had a head injury. She was physically active at low intensity levels, not overweight and no diabetes. I see no lifestyle contributors. By comparison, my dad did not develop it living side by side with her for 65 years. Mom took statins for 30 years and suffered from the known side-effects such as severe neuropathy. Statins were the longest-term medication for her, so I question if it was enough to tip the scale. No one will ever be able to say for sure.
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@Victoriaredux - you mention something interesting to me on somewhat different topic … "Maybe we are just burning up our brains earlier with the never ending THIS and THAT input . So our bodies last longer but the brain synapses go quicker……"
I have read where some studies show the population is testing lower in IQ scores. Those conducting the tests said it might be that the younger generation relies more on the phones and devices to get answers that prior generations had to cognitively determine on their own thereby creating more or diverse neural pathways. If that is true, it makes me wonder if younger generations who grew up with all the electronics will be hit even more severely when they start to become affected by this horrible disease?
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We did everything the medical literature says we should do to avoid AD: eat healthy foods, avoid sugar and processed foods, don't smoke, get lots of exercise, have a good social life, pursue our interests, and get adequate sleep. We've been actively retired for 30 years, still play pickleball 3x/week. DW does not have the gene. Minimal meds: a low dose statin and thyroid med. A glass of wine with dinner. The conundrum is the fact that research shows that AD starts in the brain some 20-25 years before it shows itself.
My best best guess is that anesthesia accelerated DW's: rotator cuff (2010), 2 hip replacements (2010 & 2015), hip revision (do over) (2022), lumpectomy (2022), and cataract surgery each eye (2022). The last three took place the year her AD became evident.0 -
There is one risk factor that towers above all else when it comes to predicting dementia and that is age. As for what can be done to prevent dementia: ,everything I have read indicates it is all the same stuff we should be doing anyway. Eat well, exercise, maintain a healthy weight, quality sleep, have good social support structure etc…
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Scooterr, I agree! My dear wife has had a sleep problem for the 33 years we've been together. Sleep deprivation has increasingly become a huge problem in society as has dementia.
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A medical professional told me they are starting to research different causes since it is affecting younger people. One factor is the statins but we both felt that the answer is not going to be that clear cut. We feel it is a combination of things such as medicines, lifestyle (foods, activity, job etc), environment and heredity. Plus other factors that still need to be identified. My husband’s hobby until recently has been lawn care and gardening. He used many different chemicals on a regular basis. Maybe that was a contributing factor. He has used statins since his thirties and is now is 71 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. He is stage 5. I know someday we will have a better idea of what causes it and hopefully ways to prevent it. I have been journaling his journey as it helps me to process what is happening, manage my thoughts and emotions and help me to prepare for what is coming. Maybe it will also give more incite into the how or why but for now it gives me comfort.
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My mother in law had several big operations throughout her life. Her first was when she was eighteen and soon after coming out of the anesthesia her hair started turning white. She told us it started as one strip and then spread over the years. They felt it was some kind of reaction to the anesthesia. So maybe the anesthesia did things that caused her dementia. My DH has dementia and was just diagnosed 2 years ago at the age of 69. He did not have any surgeries like his mom but they both were on medicines at an early age for cholesterol and high blood pressure. His sister also had dementia begin in her 60s and also was on medicines for cholesterol and high blood pressure. Not sure if there is a correlation or not. He has other siblings that did not get dementia but also were not on medicines in earlier years. Is there something in their bodies that makes dementia become triggered when the medicines and/or anesthesia is added?
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DH has family history of dementia. He started having memory problems in his 60s. Poor sleep, alcohol, not the best diet, stress, head trauma, and exposure to toxins (he was a mechanic and welder.)
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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