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The Canadian Press, January 4, 2009 reports new startling data on Alzheimers. In a study by the Alzheimer Society of Canada, 15% of Canadians affected with Alzheimer’s are under age 65 (approximately 71,000) and 50,000 are 59 or younger!

Yesterday, Maria Shriver testified in Washington on behalf of her dad and her family.  In personal and emotionally moving words, she highlighted a report by the Alzheimer’s Study Group that projects Alzheimer’s related costs “could very easily surpass even the current economic crisis in the damage it inflicts on individuals and our economy.”

I haven’t been able to find comparable data on the numbers of people under 59 or younger afflicted in the U.S., but I’ve no reason to suspect it wouldn’t be similar.  While we are beginning to clearly see the overwhelming economic impact we are currently facing, the possibility of a growing number of people being affected by dementia at even earlier ages could elevate this economic impact considerably.  People with dementia in their 50’s face limited earning power, businesses lose the talent of experienced people, and someone has to assess the impact of even longer spans of increasing lifetime health care costs.  We’re already questioning whether it is financially feasible to retire at 65 given we may have 30 or more years to financially support ourselves.  But if our health takes us out of the workforce in our 50’s and we continue to live long lives (Sargent Shriver is 93), the call for more dollars for research has got to be a clanging bell - a piercing alarm - a warning siren - Incoming! Incoming! Incoming!

In our work at EarthWonders, we study nature-health connections and environmental wellness and how they impact aging and chronic illness.  There are various research studies that show how nature can potentially have a positive impact on memory, stress, anxiety, etc.  All these have some opportunity for deeper investigation in Alzheimer’s and dementia related disease.  But in addition, we also look at environmental factors that may play a role.  In an October 2008 report, Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging, (published jointly by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Science and Environmental Health Network) we are provided with “the most comprehensive review of the currently available research on the lifetime influences of environmental factors on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”  It studies various components in environment and their identification of specific environmental risk factors including lead, air pollution, pesticides, dietary risk factors, dietary protective factors, and physical activity.  EarthWonders Communities incorporate research and recommendations like this as a foundation of supporting healthy living at all ages.  There appears to be no one cause of Alzheimer’s disease but possibly a myriad of things, including genetics, that escalate and contribute to the onset and progressive development.  Environmental factors are issues we can control or at least minimize if they have negative implications such as toxins and optimize if positive such as pesticide free food, and eating more omega-3 fatty acids.  The EPA estimates that our indoor environments are 5 times more polluted than outdoor environment.  Providing healthier indoor air quality, focusing on eliminating toxins in our air, food, and surroundings is just one step in moving towards an environment that is healthier for people and our planet.  We can make active living a part of the culture of care and support social in a variety of ways.  More research - yes!  And more adoption of recommendations of research that already exists from very respected sources.

There doesn’t seem to be an answer to the economic reality of caring for ever increasing numbers of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia-related illness.  The level of care, the length of years increasing with earlier onset, decreasing ability of families to provide care, a shortage of health care workers, rising health care costs seem like they are all coming together to finally force us to face the reality.  The reality is not in managing the costs or the disease - the answer is in prevention and cure!  And that will come only from investing in research.