A Personal Battle Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Listen now on About Health on KPFA radio— 94.1FM  (6/28/21)

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=359452

Alzheimer’s, which is a neurological disorder, affects 6.2 million Americans. “Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of cases.” —World Health Organization.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there is extensive clinical research being done. The pathological changes in a person’s brain start ten to twenty years before there is cognitive impairment…and so it’s vital that life style changes begin before typical symptoms show up. My guest, Dr. Daniel Gibbs, has been devoting his time to raising awareness about early-stage Alzheimer’s, and what people can do about it, in order to live a meaningful life for a longer time.

Guest

Dr. Daniel Gibbs is a retired neurologist in Portland Oregon, with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Having spent twenty-five years caring for patients, many with dementia themselves, he is now an active advocate for the early recognition and management of Alzheimer’s. He is the author, along with Teresa H. Barker, of the recently released book “A Tattoo on my Brain. A Neurologist’s Personal Battle against Alzheimer’s Disease”