Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor revealed in a letter that she has been diagnosed with the "beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer's disease.” And, that the condition has now become so serious that she is “no longer able to participate in public life.”
Dr. Nikhil Palekar, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease is available to discuss this topic and is available by phone, Skype or live via the VideoLink Studio located on the Stony Brook University campus.
His comments:
- Every 66 seconds in the USA, a new brain develops Alzheimer’s. Two-thirds of them belong to women.
- The rate of Alzheimer’s increases with age, and as women typically live longer than men, more women tend to develop the disease.
- Alzheimer’s can be affected by hormonal changes associated with menopause.
- Early diagnosis and intervention is essential in slowing the progression of memory loss.
- It’s important to recognize the differences between changes that occur as part of normal aging and those that might indicate a cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
- The rapid growth in the US population over 65 years of age is expected to strongly contribute to a substantial rise of the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, from about 5.5 million now to almost 14 million by 2060.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Nikhil Palekar, contact Kali Chan, Director of Medicine Media Relations at 631-487-4092 or [email protected].
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