advertisement
advertisement
dr. robin hsiung, associate professor in the division of neurology at the university of b.c., says t he majority of patients diagnosed with young-onset have a clear family history of the disease affecting multiple generations, and a genetic component.
advertisement
research published in the journal lancet neurology shows that among young-onset alzheimer’s patients who carry at least one of the genetic markers, the brain plaques that are a hallmark of alzheimer’s appear up to 15 years before memory problems become evident.
advertisement
wanless, who worked at the province for 22 years, where he wrote a popular column called the cheap guy , kept busy after early retirement.
he worked as a ghost writer, and wrote for b.c. business and the financial post. but by 2007 he was having difficulties completing assignments. “i lost a couple of jobs. something going on. a little confusion.”
over the next year, the forgetfulness continued, so hutton sent him back to their family doctor, who referred wanless to a gerontologist.
advertisement
the physician diagnosed wanless with mild cognitive impairment and prescribed aricept — a medication used to treat alzheimer’s symptoms — but didn’t mention alzheimer’s .
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement