Alzheimer’s affects 11% of Kansans over 65. Do you have these warning signs? | Opinion

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, and there are more than 7 million Americans living with it. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 54,500 of them are in Kansas. That comes to about 11% of adults older than 65.

These are the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life: It is not unusual to forget where you put your car keys. But when you find the keys, do you do not remember what they are for? This may indicate you might be developing the disease.
2. Challenges in planning and solving problems: Some people may have trouble keeping track of their monthly bills, for instance.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at work or at home: People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete their assigned duties. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to their workplace.
4. Confusion with time and place: People with the disease may lose track of today’s date. They may forget where they are or how they got there.
5. Trouble understanding visual images: For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing: People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may have difficulty finding the right word, or call things by wrong name.
7. Misplacing objects and losing the ability to retrace steps: A person with Alzheimer’s may put things in unusual places and may not be able to find them.
8. Decreased or poor judgment: People with the disease may experience changes in their decision-making. For example, they might use poor judgment when dealing with money. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities: People with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies and or social activities.
10. Changes in mood and personality: People with the disease might be confused, anxious or depressed.

Diagnosis, then treatment

When you see your doctor with the above symptoms, he or she may order some blood tests to rule out vitamin D or B12 deficiency or thyroid deficiency, which could indicate increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Your doctor may also order another blood test for your levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that accumulates in people with Alzheimer’s.

Your doctor may refer you to a neurologist. A spinal tap may be done to collect cerebrospinal fluid for beta-amyloid. MRI or PET scans also might be ordered to diagnose Alzheimer’s. But recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first blood test that can help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s in some patients. The test is called Lumipulse, and it can detect amyloid plaques in the brain. If this test is positive, maybe there is no need to do spinal tap or MRI or PET scan.

How can you prevent it?

There are certain things one can do to prevent or advance the delay in developing Alzheimer’s.

If you have diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, keep them under control. Do not smoke. If you are smoking, quit. Do not drink too much alcohol. Exercise four to five days a week, preferably in moderate forms such as brisk walking, running or swimming. If you have sleep apnea, see your doctor for treatment.

There are two drugs approved by the FDA to reduce amyloid plaque in the brain. One is Lecanemab, given intravenously twice a month, and studies have shown it can slow cognitive decline by 27%. The other drug is Donanemab, also given intravenously. It has been demonstrated to slow patients’ decline in memory by 35% in 18 months of treatment. These drugs have some side effects, including swelling or bleeding in the brain — so they require close follow-up.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But if you follow these steps to prevent or delay it, they will help.

This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM.