What life expectancy does an Alzheimer's patient have?

Alzheimer's disease is probably one of the diseases that generates the greatest fear among the population in general, due to its high prevalence and the devastating effects that its advance has on those who suffers. Most people know that this affectation causes a progressive deterioration of mental faculties, among which the best known and prominent (although not the only one) is memory.

Likewise, there is a certain notion that in addition to these losses, Alzheimer's is generating an increasing affectation of the subject until his death. In this sense, it is common for many people to wonder What is the life expectancy of an Alzheimer's patient?. Answering this question is complex, but throughout this article we will try to offer an approximate prognosis based on the average life expectancy of a person with this disease.

• Related article: "Alzheimer's: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention"

What is Alzheimer's disease?

We know as Alzheimer's disease one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, which is still unknown. have a known cause and is increasingly prevalent, partly due to the progressive aging of the population. This disease, which generates dementia, is characterized by the appearance of

a progressive and irreversible deterioration and death of neurons that populate our brain, something that in turn also generates a progressive loss of cognitive faculties.

This dementia does not appear suddenly, but begins to manifest itself insidiously, first affecting the temporal and parietal cortices to eventually expand to the rest of the cortex and eventually also affect the subcortical structures.

At a functional level, the most recognizable symptom in Alzheimer's is episodic memory loss, together with the presence of anterograde amnesia or the inability to retain new information.

In addition to this, speech problems also appear (initially anomia or inability to find the name of things but over time the difficulties in this regard progress until reaching aphasia), recognition/identification of faces and objects and motor skills and sequencing of movements, something that ends up configuring the so-called syndrome aphaso-apraxo-agnosic. Perceptual alterations (such as loss of smell) and behavioral disorders also appear (for example wandering or loss of impulse control which can lead to certain aggressiveness).

In addition it is common for delusional ideas of prejudice to appear (some of which may be due to memory problems) and great attention difficulties, disinhibition or extreme meekness or emotional disturbances.

three phases

The deteriorating progress of this disease occurs through three phases. Initially, in the initial phase difficulties begin to be seen such as the anterograde amnesia, problems with memory and cognitive and day-to-day performance, problems solving problems and making judgments, a certain withdrawal and possibly depressive symptoms such as apathy, depression or irritability. This first phase usually lasts between two and four years.

Subsequently, a second phase is reached, whose duration can be up to five years, in which the aforementioned aphaso-apraxo-agnosic syndrome begins to appear. Said syndrome is characterized as we have said by causing more and more problems when it comes to communicating, carrying out sequences of movements and being able to identify stimuli.

There is also spatio-temporal disorientation, now a much more marked loss of recent memory, and decreased self-awareness. Apathy and depressive symptoms appear, as well as irritability and possible delusions of prejudice (partly linked to memory loss) and even verbal or physical aggression. Impulse control is much less. Problems also appear in the activities of daily living, something that makes the subject increasingly dependent and already requiring external supervision for most activities (although still capable of performing the most basic).

In the third and final phase of this disease, the subject is deeply deteriorated. Memory loss can even affect childhood episodes, and it may happen that the subject suffers from an ecmensia in which the person believes that he is in a moment of childhood. There is already a severe difficulty in communication (suffering from severe aphasia in which the ability to understand and express is practically non-existent) and problems moving and walking.

It is common for there to also be disinhibition of impulses, incontinence, inability to recognize loved ones and even self-recognition in a mirror. Restlessness and anguish are also frequent, as well as insomnia problems and the lack of response to pain or the aversive. The subject usually ends up bedridden and mute. In this last stage, which ends with death, the subject is totally dependent on the environment in such a way who needs someone to carry out the basic activities of daily living and even to survive.

• You may be interested in: "Types of dementias: the 8 forms of loss of cognition"

Life expectancy in Alzheimer's patients

We have seen that the process of deterioration suffered by a person with Alzheimer's occurs progressively, until they reach bedridden and eventually their death. The period between the onset of symptoms and death can vary greatly from person to person., so talking about a specific life expectancy can be complex. However, the average time that occurs between one and the other, the life expectancy that Alzheimer's patients usually have, usually ranges between eight and ten years.

However, it must also be taken into account that this figure is only an average that we must take as an approximation: there are cases in which death has occurred much earlier or, conversely, people who have lived up to two more decades since the beginning of the symptoms. Thus, we cannot fully determine how long a person with this disease will survive.

There are many factors that can alter the vital prognosis. One of them is found in the fact that keeping the mind active and keeping the person stimulated contributes to prolonging the time in that it maintains its functions, something that helps to slow down the progress of the disease and improve the person's quality of life. The lack of both physical and mental activity, on the contrary, facilitates its progression. There are also some drugs that in principle help and promote the functioning of memory.

In addition to this, the fact of being able to have a social support network that can maintain supervision of the subject and support him (if Although it is also important that caregivers also have their own space for themselves), or that they can request the help that specify.

Another element that must be taken into account when assessing the involvement of Alzheimer's disease with respect to life expectancy is the age of onset of the disease. It must be taken into account that although when we think of Alzheimer's the most common thing is to do it in an older person, there are also cases in which it appears early.

In general, those people who suffer from early or presenile forms of Alzheimer's, that is to say, who begin to experience the symptoms and are Diagnosed before the age of 65, they tend to have a worse prognosis and the different phases of the disease tend to follow one another at a later date. speed. On the contrary, the later the onset of the disorder, the lesser the effect it has in reducing life expectancy.

Bibliographic references:

• Forstl, H. & Kurz, A, (1999). Clinical features of Alzheimer's disease. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 249 (6): 288-290.
• Petersen R.C. (2007). The current status of mild cognitive impairment--what do we tell our patients?. Nat Clin Practice Neurol 3(2): 60-1.
• Santos, J.L.; Garcia, L.I.; Calderón, M.A.; Sanz, L.J.; de los Rios, P.; Left, S.; Roman, P.; Hernangomez, L.; Navas, E.; Ladrón, A and Álvarez-Cienfuegos, L. (2012). Clinical psychology. CEDE PIR Preparation Manual, 02. YIELD. Madrid.