RI Top Doctor Chan Discusses Latest Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Developments
RI Top Doctor Chan Discusses Latest Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Developments
“Dementia is one of the most common things that we see here in the primary care setting, and it really affects millions and millions of Americans. Dementia is the overarching term that really talks about an acquired disorder that's really characterized by a decline in cognition, and so that includes things like learning, memory, thinking, etc.,” said Dr. Chan.
“Alzheimer's dementia is a subset of that — it's the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60% to 80%, and the hallmark of Alzheimer's dementia is really this buildup of protein in the brain that eventually leads to cellular death in the brain,” added Dr. Chan.
Over and Underdiagnosed
“The diagnosis of dementia is relatively complex, actually, and sometimes it's misdiagnosed both ways. Meaning sometimes people are missed who have dementia, and some people are overdiagnosed,” said Dr. Chan.
“I think one thing that's important to realize and one of the most common questions that we get, certainly I get as a physician from people who come in, who you know are a little bit forgetful and are worried that they have dementia, and I think one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's dementia is that you normally don't realize actually that you are forgetting things," said Dr. Chan.
"In fact, the the forgetfulness and the memory issues are usually pointed out by a family member or a friend someone around you and you don't realize it yourself,” he added.
Cost
For the first time, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease is more than 7 million.
In 2025, it is estimated that 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia, reports Alzmeimer.org.
The total cost for caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States is projected to reach $384 billion in 2025.
In addition, family and friends provided nearly $415 billion in unpaid caregiving in 2024.
Keeping it Away
Dr. Chan said that herbal medicines are heavily promoted but have little science behind them.
“We do know a lot about how to prevent things like dementia Alzheimer's and it really comes back down to the basics activity — exercise, eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight those are really going to be the best ways to prevent dementia and stay fit and sharp in the future as you age," said Dr. Chan.
Also linked is sleep.
Dr. Chan said it is critical to get regular, high-quality sleep—eight hours or more each night.