The 2024 Presidential Race Highlights Our Fears of Dementia  

Biden made a stunning decision to pull out of the 2024 race. Voters have long told pollsters they were concerned about his age, which seems disingenuous given that Trump is only three years younger). Biden sometimes struggled to complete sentences or marshal his thoughts. Social media platforms have speculated that both candidates are unfit for office due to cognitive decline. Some postulate that Biden has Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia, and some are baffled by Trump’s rambling word salads. 

There are lots of reasons why a person may appear momentarily confused or forgetful, show poor judgment, or behave strangely. Dementia is a specific form of cognitive impairment—just one of many reasons why someone might not be able to think or remember things clearly. These symptoms do not necessarily indicate an inability to function well.  

Most people in the medical field believe Alzheimer’s is not curable. Some drug treatments can help manage symptoms and slow the disease’s progression. Alzheimer’s is a chronic,  degenerative brain disorder that damages nerve cells, causing memory loss, confusion,  behavioral changes, and language deterioration. While a person’s condition will eventually decline and lead to death, certain medications can help temporarily improve symptoms. 

Alzheimer’s disease strikes fear in most of us. Nearly 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.  An estimated 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2024.  As the size of the U.S. population aged 65 and older continues to grow, so too will the number and proportion of Americans with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Dementia is one of the costliest medical conditions to society. It is not just memory loss. People die from it.  Biomedical researchers have been working to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease for at least 30 years. 

There were several times in my life that I feared I was headed toward dementia. I once put the cereal box in the refrigerator. Another time, I found that I had completed the same task multiple times. Recently, I inadvertently slid a knife into the oven, alongside the casserole dish, only to find it melted beyond use. Haven’t we all done these things? Yes, but I was concerned enough that I saw my physician, who performed a quick and easy cognitive test.  I performed poorly enough that I was informed about some medications that could slow the process of memory loss. But to my knowledge, I don’t have dementia. Instead, I was under intense stress during those periods, which caused brain fog.  

But what if there is no magic pill? Dale Bredesen, M.D., is an expert in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. He does not believe cognitive decline is irreversible and unstoppable, and he has numerous case examples to prove it. Instead of finding a single drug solution, he developed a protocol of lifestyle and nutritional interventions. He advocates skills, not pills. Instead of one causal explanation for the development of  Alzheimer’s, he identified 36 different contributors that can trigger “downsizing” in the brain.  

His book, “The End of Alzheimer’s Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and  Reverse Decline at Any Age,” is a New York Times best seller. He lays out the program he uses with his patients. Bredesen’s research and findings are also documented in a movie, “Memories for Life: Reversing Alzheimer’s.” It is currently available on Prime Video for  $3.99. I found it fascinating.  

Recent research by Dr. Shannon Macauley, associate professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the study’s principal investigator, found that high blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of  Alzheimer’s disease.  

We all want science to produce a cure, but like many things, the cure is not out there. It is within us. Our sugar consumption and lifestyle choices are not “druggable,” but education and behavioral tools can shift us toward a healthier lifestyle. It is up to us to change. 

As of the time of this writing, neither Biden nor Trump have been given diagnoses of dementia. As said earlier, the number and proportion of Americans with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are increasing. They may or may not ever warrant a diagnosis. We can take measures to prevent ourselves from receiving such a diagnosis. Now that we know better, we can do better.