SYRACUSE -- As we age, our minds start to give and we forget things. That's part of the normal aging process. But for an estimated 5 million Americans, it's even worse. They're living with a progressive and fatal brain disease called Alzheimer's.
It's a disease that destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior and it only gets worse over time. Some 44,000 Central New Yorkers are living with Alzheimer's. Since 2000, we've seen a 21% increase in cases of Alzheimer's in Onondaga County alone.
But some 40% of people nationwide aren't even diagnosed. "It's the stigma that people feel like I don't want to be diagnosed because I'll be labeled. However, they don't know that things have changed so much that now knowing you have Alzheimer's early and taking the treatment very early, you could really postpone the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and you could live longer, much longer," said Dr. Smita Kittur, a local neurologist.
She's part of a worldwide effort to stop this disease in its tracks. Dr. Kittur is conducting clinical research studies for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's in hope of eventually finding a cure. "Alzheimer's disease is so common and we know it's a progressive disease and ultimately they're going to end up in a nursing home and the baby boomers are aging right now. If we don't do anything, it's going to be a public health crisis," said Dr. Kittur.
"We're hoping that we can get closer to a cure, to a vaccine or to a treatment that when a diagnosis is made, a medication can be prescribed so that Alzheimer's disease is not a fatal disease," said Jared Paventi of the Central New York chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Paventi is optimistic and is tired of seeing people living in a constant state of confusion. He hopes Dr. Kittur's research will someday make a difference. "At the Alzheimer's Association, we're one of the few businesses that's trying to put ourselves out of business and when we can finally shut the doors, they'll be a very good day for the world," he said.
The hope is to eventually find a cure. If you know someone who would like to participate in the clinical trials, please contact Charity Cowley at (315) 701-4554.
