Initial Symptoms Could Predict How Fast Alzheimer's Progresses

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Memory loss is the most common symptom associated with Alzheimers disease the terrifying prospect of slowly forgetting yourself and everything around you.

But people who exhibit memory loss early on in their dementia actually have a slower rate of decline than those who develop other symptoms earlier, a new study reports.

Difficulty forming sentences, making plans, solving problems or judging space and distance these symptoms all herald a steeper and faster decline for Alzheimers and dementia patients than do early memory problems, researchers found.

People with memory changes in fact have a slightly slower rate of disease progression than people who have other symptoms, like language or judgment issues, in terms of their ability to function independently and take care of themselves, said lead researcher Dr. Jagan Pillai, a neurologist with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health, in Ohio.

If these early symptoms prove to be a reliable clue, they could help patients and their families better prepare for whats ahead, he said.