DEGENERATION STAGES OF ALZHEIMERÆS DISEASE
This paper examined the progress of AlzheimerÆs disease in patients through three degenerative stages of the disease. In the earlier stages of AlzheimerÆs disease, the most observable effects in the patient are psychological and cognitive, as opposed to physiological. Nevertheless, physiological changes are occurring in the earlier stages of the disease. This fact is important because it is in the earlier stages of the disease that strategies such as participation in regular physical exercise can slow physiological degeneration. It also is possible that slowing physiological degeneration will slow cognitive and psychological degeneration. Slowing the process of physiological degeneration in the AlzheimerÆs patient also will ease the burden on caregivers.
The old segment of the population of the United States is larger today than at any time in the past. This characterization of the old segment of the population is true in relation to (a) absolute numbers and (b) as a proportion of the total population. There are approximately 41 million people 65 years old and older in the United States population today. The number of those people age 65 and older today is greater than the number of teenagers in the population. It is projected that the number of people age 65 and older in the United States will increase by 2015 to 60 million persons.
The oldest-old cohort (76 years old and older) is the fastest-growing age group in the country. The number of people in this age group is increasing 50 percent faster than the increase for all persons age 65 and older. This cohort is the most susceptible to serious health problems such as AlzheimerÆs disease.
The increasing numbers of people in the population in the age groups must susceptible to AlzheimerÆs disease adds emphasis to the need for society to (a) gain a better understanding of the disease, (b) its effects on the victims...