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Alzheimer's Outside the Developed World

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  • 01-07-2011 7:44pm
    #1
    wayhey
    Registered Users Posts: 527 ✭✭✭


    I'm trying to word this sensitively because I'm not a student of sociology/anthropology. I just thought of this today and hoped maybe I could find an answer or a source of answers here!

    My granddad has Alzheimer's and lately he's started to get very disorientated and even a little aggressive. How do other cultures respond to a degenerative disease like Alzheimer's? I'm guessing that in countries where Alzheimer's is not part of the public consciousness, people do not generally live into what we consider old age to get the disease. Surely with medical advancements now this must be an issue though? Are there any cases of tribal/nomadic people dealing with such diseases?

    Thanks for anything you know, I don't even know where to look for information on this! :)


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    #2
    Red Hand
    Registered Users Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Red Hand


    I think those old people that survive into old age are sharp of mind and robust of physique in tribal/nomadic groups...they have no choice.

    My lecturer in college once did research into Alzheimers....to see if there was a connection with the use of aluminium food containers (pots/pans/cans etc) and alzheimers...I presume since we haven't heard anything about it that there isn't a connection.


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