Reply #28: The same thing can be said about 150,000 other alzheimers...

[whistle]

...patients who have died during Dubya's term so far.

Alzheimer's deaths on rise
Mortality related to this disease increased more than for any other of the top 10 killers, prompting concern about the ever-increasing burden on caregivers.
By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. March 8, 2004.

Deaths related to Alzheimer's disease increased nearly 6% from 2001 to 2002, according to "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2002," a report published by the National Center for Health Statistics last month. This finding comes on the heels of a 5% increase between 2000 to 2001, and a 9% increase from 1999 to 2000.

Experts blame the phenomenon on the convergence of several trends, including changes in the death certificate system, improvements in medical technology and a shift in demographics. But they also see the numbers as a warning signal about the continuing strain that spiraling rates of Alzheimer's morbidity and mortality will impose on the health care system.

So, in all likelihood Reagan did not die of the disease of Alzheimers but something else that he got because of his vulnerability.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/03/08/hlsa0308.htm


Health Reference > Questions & Answers >

Alzheimer's deaths: Common causes?



Question:

My grandmother has advanced Alzheimer's disease. What do most people with this disease die of? Does the brain just quit communicating with the heart?
Gina / Florida

Answer:


There's no one predominant cause of death in people with Alzheimer's disease. However, many people with Alzheimer's die from problems related to the decrease in brain function, which increases the risk of falls and infections. Some common health concerns in people with Alzheimer's include:

Inhaling (aspirating) food or liquid into the lungs due to swallowing difficulties. This can lead to pneumonia.
Urinary incontinence that may require placement of a catheter. Insertion of a catheter increases the risk of serious urinary tract infections.
Falls, which in older adults commonly lead to serious head injuries or fractures of the hip or other bones.
Pulmonary embolism. Inactivity increases the risk of blood clots.
People with Alzheimer's are at increased risk of complications and death from anesthesia and surgery.
Loss of brain function usually doesn't cause death by interfering with the function of the heart.