Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan)

Harvard Medical School ^ | Monthly | From Harvard Medical School

[yoe]

Alzheimer's comes to many families and it has no borders. Most of our insurers won't pay for the cost of this new way of slowing the progression down. Please read, be informed and let your elected know this is one health problem that most Americans will in some way be involved over the years. If one drug, a very expensive one, can help to slow this devastating disease, it should be part of an insurance plan.

“Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia — an illness that impairs the brain's intellectual functions (memory, orientation, calculation, etc.), but largely spares those parts of the brain that control sensation and movement. In Alzheimer's disease, the mind gradually deteriorates, causing memory loss, confusion, disorientation, impaired judgment and other problems that may affect a person's ability to perform normal daily activities. Although Alzheimer's disease usually begins later in life (generally after age 60), it also may rarely affect persons as young as age 30.”

“In Alzheimer's disease, the paths of communication between brain cells become distorted by deposits of a protein called amyloid. In addition, levels of acetylcholine (a chemical that helps transmit messages between brain cells) begin to drop, causing more cell-to-cell communication problems. Eventually, the brain cells themselves are affected. They begin to shrivel and die, causing certain areas of the brain to shrink.”

“Age and family history are the two most important risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The illness currently affects an estimated 4 million older Americans and, as the baby boom population ages, may eventually affect 14 million by the year 2040. At age 65, approximately 1 percent of people are stricken, but this increases to more than 30 percent after age 85. In addition to age, there also appear to be inherited (genetic) factors that increase the riskof Alzheimer's disease. Current research links these geneticfactors to areas on chromosomes 12 and 19.”

This is what the insurers balk at due to cost and the medication that is prescribed.

In some cases, your doctor also may order a brain imaging study (a computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or a positron-emission tomography PET scan) to look for direct evidence of the structural changes in the brain that usually are seen in Alzheimer's disease or to rule out other brain illnesses.

[yoe]

Insurers do not as a whole look at Alzheimer’s or deafness as a medical problem - but they are among the most devastating in our nation.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

BUMP

[At _War_With_Liberals]

There is no medication that is proven to 'slow down' the progress of the disease. This is not true. Also, doctors DO NOT know exactly what it is or what causes it.

Two of my relatives with it have basic insurance and all medication is covered.

[Mr. Bird]

My grandmother had Alzheimer's, and she got the appropriate medication. What are you saying is not covered? The imaging scans? If so, you can always pay cash.

[Quix]

Thanks much.

My mother would thank you if she had enough awareness left to do so with.