Purple Awareness Ribbon is a symbol of alzheimer's, pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, ect.

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are the number one cause for claim on long term care insurance policies so we like to keep close tabs on the latest cutting edge science advances.  Scientific American recently wrote an article on Alzheimer’s where a Senior Fellow at Duke’s Center for the Study of Aging answered some questions on the disease.  The article states:

The two biggest misconceptions are “It’s just aging” and “It’s untreatable, so we should just leave the person alone.”   Both of these misconceptions are remnants of an outdated view that hinders families from getting the best diagnosis and best care…Although old age is the single biggest risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.  Just ask any family member who has cared for a loved one with Alzheimer’s and they will tell you how different the disease is from normal aging.  Alzheimer’s can strike people as young as their forties; there are some half a million individuals in the United States with early-onset dementia.  Recent research has pinpointed disruptions in specific memory networks in Alzheimer’s patients, such as those involving the posteromedial cortex and medial temporal lobe, that appear distinct from normal aging.

One of the most shocking facts I learned was by 2050 1-million new cases will be diagnosed annually.  If this is anywhere near accurate the sheer number of people needing long term care as a result will put a huge strain on our society.  The article goes on to state that B vitamins may prevent dementia in those who are deficient in these key vitamins and that there are some simple blood tests that can detect these levels.