Several of my family members have died with dementia over the past few decades. There has always been a question in my mind whether they died from dementia, or with dementia. For example, does dementia deteriorate brain function to the point everything else stops working? Like losing the ability to talk, does your brain lose the ability to breath? Well, it is complicated. Take Alzheimer’s Disease for example:
Many people associate Alzheimer’s and dementia with progressive memory loss. A person initially forgets where they placed objects around the house or when they are due for an appointment. As the disease progresses, they forget aspects of their life and fail to recognize their loved ones.Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively erodes a person’s memory and ability to function. But it’s not a fatal disease; people with Alzheimer’s die from an underlying condition that develops due to deterioration.
The most common cause of death in patients with Alzheimer’s is pneumonia. The gory details are, well, gory.
Patients with advanced dementia develop dysphagia, the medical term for having difficulty with swallowing. Dysphagia involves several changes to the patient’s mouth as a result of brain atrophy, including a decrease in tongue strength as well as saliva production.At the same time, as a patient develops dysphagia, they can also lose their ability to recognize food placed into their mouth. During feedings, caregivers have to remind the patient to swallow. Attempts to swallow, however, can be unsuccessful, and one-third of patients will aspirate bacteria into the lungs and then develop pneumonia as a result.
A new study finds that deaths from dementia have tripled in the past two decades. The following is a summary of the research:
In 1999, about 150,000 Americans died from dementia, according to the study. By 2020, that number had tripled to over 450,000.The reason it is increasingly the cause of death could be because people are living longer or getting diagnosed earlier, according to Ali.
Age is the most significant risk factor for dementia, although chronic disease can be contributing factors. Oddly enough, other characteristics that correlate with dementia are women, African Americans, and people in rural communities.
The number of Americans with dementia is expected to double by 2050. Experts claim people have some control over the likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia.
Up to 45% of dementia cases may be preventable by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, according to the Lancet Commission on Dementia.Lifestyle factors that increased the chances of a dementia diagnosis include less education, head injury, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, hearing loss, depression, social isolation, vision loss, and exposure to air pollution in older life.
A recent study found that a blood test for Alzheimer disease may someday become available. There has also been significant research into Alzheimer’s therapies. There may never be a cure but in future years drugs may be able to slow progression, allowing patients to die of other diseases.