I have had many clients seek my assistance in determining whether their partner, parent, etc. have Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, I had one such client this week where a wife brought in her husband to seek an answer to the question of whether his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was correct. This is also the question that also comes up in many of my talks.

There are many myths surrounding what Alzheimer’s disease is. It is not a germ or virus that we contact. It is not a stroke. It is not a head injury. These events may all cause memory loss but they are not Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is not the same as dementia. Dementia is a rating of the severity of memory loss. Dementia refers to the state of being so impaired in memory and/or other cognitive skills that you cannot live independently. It is important to understand that you can be demented and not have Alzheimer’s disease and that you can have Alzheimer’s disease and not be demented.

The statistics on developing Alzheimer’s disease are interesting. For example, if you live to be 85-90 you have a 50% chance of having a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. If you live to be 100, you have a 70% of having a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Many of us can live into our 100s and not have Alzheimer’s disease. The statistics create fear but are deceptive. They don’t inform of how severe the Alzheimer’s disease is at the time of diagnosis. They don’t inform of how many of those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are demented.

Neither science nor medicine has the answer to the question of what is Alzheimer’s disease. The most popular theory is that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the burden of abnormal proteins that form plaques in the neurons. However, we still aren’t sure if the plaques cause Alzheimer’s disease or if Alzheimer’s disease causes the plaques. Furthermore, as many as 20% of us will develop a plaque burden as we age but have no clinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, the recent failure of Lily’s drug that reversed the burden of plaques not only didn’t help but also made the condition worse.

My honest answer to the question of “What is Alzheimer’s disease?” is that I still don’t know. Maybe we are asking the wrong question. By waiting until we can accurately diagnose a disorder that we still don’t understand, we fail to be proactive. We fear assessment that may help us live a better life. We wait until we have to be reactive and there is so much less that can be done. The question to ask is “How is my memory?” We can put in place very good treatment plans if we focus on changes in short-term memory. We need to get ahead of the changes and be proactive just as we do for diabetes, hypertension, and many cancers. What we currently call Alzheimer’s disease unfolds over the course of decades. We can treat memory if we catch the changes early. Don’t wait for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease to treat short-term memory. Actively manage short-term memory and put in place a life plan that is engaging and fulfilling even if your memory declines.