Alzheimer's and Memory Loss

Stan and Clarence chat with Dr. Manka Nkimbeng about Alzheimer's and memory loss.

Check out our new website at healthchatterpodcast.com

Brought to you in support by Hue-MAN who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships. More about their work can found at http://huemanpartnership.org/

Dr. Manka Nkimbeng

Assistant Professor - Division of Health Policy and Management (University of Minnesota School of Public Health)

Affiliate Professor in School of Nursing

Education

PhD (philosophy) - Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
MPH - Boston University
BSN - University of Massachusetts

Research interests include understanding the causes of health inequities in minorities and improving health outcomes for older adults
60+ publications
Guest on Voices of Aging Podcast (November 2022)

Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Group/University of Minnesota Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation
Discussed her background as a nurse, what inspired her to pursue a career in aging, and her current research which focuses on immigrant experiences of aging

Research

What is Alzheimer’s?

Most common type of dementia and involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language
Progressive disease that starts with mild memory loss and potentially leads to loss of ability to carry on a conversation and/or respond to environment
Less common in younger people
Scientists do not fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s and there is currently no cure

Risk factors include age, family history, and potentially education/diet/environment

10 symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Memory loss that disrupts daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks
Confusion with time/place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
New problems with words (speaking or writing)
Misplacing things & losing the ability to retrace steps
Decreased/poor judgment
Withdrawal from work and/or social activities
Changes in mood or personality

Fast Facts

5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s in 2020
The number of people with Alzheimer’s doubles every year after age 65
Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death among adults 65+ in the United States

What is Dementia?

Not a specific disease → general term for memory loss and impaired ability to think or make decisions around everyday life
Dementia is not a normal part of aging
Symptoms include problems with memory, attention, communication, reasoning & judgment, etc.
Risk factors include age, family history, race/ethnicity, poor heart health, and traumatic brain injury
Most common types of dementia are: Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, lewy body dementia, fronto-temporal dementia, and mixed dementia
Treatment depends on the underlying cause

Neurodegenerative dementia like Alzheimer’s has no cure
Medication can help and leading a healthy lifestyle can decrease the chances of developing a chronic disease

People with dementia are often denied basic rights and freedoms

In many countries, physical and chemical restraints are used extensively in care homes for older people

Fast Facts

14 million adults (65+) are projected to have dementia in the United States by 2060
More than 55 million people currently live with dementia worldwide

Over 60% of these people live in low/middle-income countries
10 million new cases every year

65% of dementia-related deaths are women (worldwide)
Latino folks are 1.5x more likely to have dementia than white folks
Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases
50% of the global cost of dementia is attributed to informal care
The estimated total global cost of dementia was $1.3 trillion

Costs are expected to surpass $2.8 trillion by 2030 (both the number of people living with dementia and care costs will continue to increase)

What is “Normal” Memory Loss?

Normal age-related memory loss doesn't cause a significant disruption in your daily life
Memory loss that disrupts your life is one of the first or more-recognizable signs of dementia