Alzheimer`s Disease/Alzheimer Death

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Expert: - 11/3/2004


Question
What actually takes the life of Alzheimers patients?  When I hear, "they died of Alzheimers", what actually causes death in Alzheimers cases?
Thanks,
Jimmy

Answer
Hi Jimmy,  People with Alzheimer's die from other things usually pneumonia.  What happens with AD is that as the disease progresses it "eats up" the brain and destroys all of the natural processes of the body.  One of these things is the immune system, and when that happens, usually at the end of the disease process, pneumonia sets in and the body can't fight it no matter how much antibiotics they try to inject into the patient.  

So people say that the patient died from AD which is a truth to some extent but really it is an infection of some kind.  

Hope this answers your question.  Take care Paula

Alzheimer`s Disease

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Volunteer

Paula Damgaard

Expertise

I can offer families and caregivers non-diagnostic answers to questions regarding the disease. I travel around the state giving courses on Alzheimer`s disease for nurses and CNA`s.

Experience


Past/Present clients
I have coordinated Alzheimer's Clinical drug trials since 1987. I have coordinated the Memory Disorders Clinic since it's inception 1994. I also have personnal experience from caring for my mother who died of AD 5/2000 and presently from caring for my mother in law who was diagnosed in March 2000.

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