Anticipating The Future: Alzheimers
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Anticipating the future
Physicians are sometimes reluctant to discuss in much detail what the future holds for someone with Alzheimer's disease. Their reticence is understandable. It's impossible to predict exactly how the disease will affect an individual because the symptoms and rate of progression vary. Some people develop severe psychiatric problems; others do not. A symptom can show up early or not appear until much later.
For some people, the decline is slow and gradual over a decade or longer; others experience a rapidly downhill course that ends in death within three years. The symptoms are also influenced by the person's intellectual abilities before the illness sets in, and by other health problems, personality, coping skills, and family support.
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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