A study from the Mayo Clinic looked at a mild type of memory loss that may precede Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers looked at approximately sixteen hundred adults between the ages of seventy and eighty-nine living near the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. All of the study participants had normal mental and memory function when they joined the study; within a year, more than five percent had developed some impairment.
Men in the study were twice as likely as women to develop memory impairment. However, women often live longer and therefore have more time to develop memory issues.
Researchers called this “mild cognitive impairment” — more than what we laughingly call “senior moments” but not as severe as full-blown dementia. Memory is impaired, but the person does not experience other problems like confusion, inattention, or trouble expressing themselves. MCI seems to be a transition phase between normal aging and dementia.
The study showed rates of mild cognitive impairment that were two to three times larger than many researchers had expected.
The bottom line? Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that nearly a million older Americans start to slide from normal mental function into some form of mild memory impairment every year. Add that to the half million Americans who develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia annually and that leaves us with a HUGE problem.
Around the world, dementia may be more of a problem than previously thought. A study sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Alzheimer’s Association found that dementia rates in developing countries may be just as high as dementia rates in wealthier nations.
Right now, there is no way to prevent, treat, or reverse MCI. If we could find a way to treat mild cognitive impairment before it gives way to Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, that could save a lot of people (and their precious memories).