An international study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Alzheimer’s Europe was presented last week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2011. The five country study – U.S., France, Germany, Spain and Poland – surveyed over 2,500 people to examine their perceptions on Alzheimer’s disease and to identify their views on the value of diagnosis.
The study found that Alzheimer’s disease was the second biggest health fear, behind cancer, in four of the five countries surveyed – residents of Poland rated it as their third biggest concern behind cancer and heart disease, respectively. The study also revealed the following about the public’s general perception on diagnosis:
The chart above suggests that an overwhelming majority of respondents would want to know whether they in fact have Alzheimer’s disease, despite the fact that there is currently no cure.
Further findings also revealed that a significant number of respondents believed an effective treatment was available, to slow its progression and make symptoms less severe. We covered the topic of modifiable lifestyle factors and how they relate to a lower risk of memory-impairment in “Maintaining a Healthy Mind,” however it should be noted that there is little evidence to believe that these lifestyle factors could reverse cognitive decline.
The study also found that at least 38% of respondents in all five countries believed that a reliable medical test is available to detect the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The table below (from MyBrainTest.com) shows what options are currently available.
We will discuss each of these categories, in depth, in our next LIFE blog posting and also identify when each is appropriate. But be warned, at least one of the tests mentioned is not currently recommended by The National Institute on Aging (NIA) or the Alzheimer’s Association, we’ll go into those details as well.
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