4. Dementia only affects older adults
Age is a risk factor for dementia, but dementia can affect
younger adults in rare cases. Some scientists estimate that, in people aged
30–64 years, 38–260 people in 100,000 — equivalent to 0.038–0.26% — develop
early-onset dementia.
In the 55–64 age bracket, this increases to close to 420
people in 100,000 or 0.4%.
5. Using aluminum pans causes Alzheimer’s
In the 1960s, scientists injected rabbits with high levels
of aluminum. They found that the animals developed neurological lesions similar
to those that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
Additionally, some studies have identified aluminum within
the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s. However, aluminum also appears in the
healthy brain, and researchers have not established a causal link between this
element and the disease.
Following on from these studies, myths still circulate that
drinking from aluminum cans or cooking with aluminum pots increases the risk of
Alzheimer’s.
However, since those early experiments, scientists have not
found a clear association between Alzheimer’s and using aluminum pots and pans.
Although researchers will, eventually, establish the precise
relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s, consuming aluminum through the
diet is unlikely to play a major role.
As the Alzheimer’s Society explain: “Aluminum in food and
drink is in a form that is not easily absorbed into the body. Hence, the amount
taken up is less than 1% of the amount present in food and drink. Most of the
aluminum taken into the body is cleaned out by the kidneys.”
However, they also write that some research has found “a
potential role for high dose aluminum in drinking water in progressing
Alzheimer’s disease for people who already have the disease.”
6. Dementia signals the end of a meaningful life
Thankfully, this is not the case. Many people with a
dementia diagnosis lead active, meaningful lives. Some people fear that if a
doctor diagnoses them with dementia, they will no longer be able to go for a
walk alone and will have to stop driving their vehicle immediately.
It is true that these adjustments may come in time as the
condition progresses, but in mild cases of dementia, no changes may be
necessary. As dementia worsens, changes to the way an individual leads their
life are likely, but that does not mean that the person cannot lead a
fulfilling life.
“Too many people are in the dark about dementia — many feel
that a dementia diagnosis means someone is immediately incapable of living a
normal life, while myths and misunderstandings continue to contribute to the
stigma and isolation that many people will feel. The research shows that life
doesn’t end when dementia begins.”
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