While it's true dementia are related to prion ingestion, that's hardly news. More likely Alzheimer's is a common misdiagnosis. Alzheimer's is a general, broad-spectrum and poorly constrained definition for dementia from a variety of causes, some treatable or preventable.
A lot of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are being ill-served and shuffled off.
How would you have those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s treated differently?
>> Alzheimer’s is a general, broad-spectrum and poorly constrained definition <<
Did you read the fascinating article linked above in post no. 4? If so, can you say whether it breaks new ground? Or was the association between Alzheimer’s and oral spirochetes already a well-established factoid?
That is true. Many things have been linked to dementia such as:
*Head trauma. One study done in the ‘90s of WWII vets found that those who were known to have sustained blows to the head in the war were much more likely to develop dementia. Also the well-known cases of boxers and football players suffering brain damage. It’s also worth noting that Ronald Reagan fell from a horse on his ranch shortly after leaving office in 1989. Coincidence?
*Exposure to toxic chemicals may cause brain damage. Reagan, Charles Bronson, Charlton Heston, Rita Hayworth, and other actors all suffered dementia possibly related to the makeup and special effects used in their acting careers (which often used nasty substances in olden days). Donald Trump’s father experienced AD as well. He was known to personally fumigate his hotel buildings.
*Infection. Old people do not have the immunity to fight off pathogens well. Various bugs could get into the brain and cause inflammatory damage.
*Diet. Diabetes may cause improper levels of blood sugar in the brain and impair its function.
*Anesthetic damage. The case of actor Peter Falk brought attention to this. He suddenly experienced dementia after dental surgery, and numerous reports of people suffering this have surfaced online. Slowing/stopping the heart during surgery may interrupt blood flow to the brain and cause damage.
AD is actually a very specific condition, but it cannot be diagnosed with certainty unless the brain is examined after death. Many so-called AD cases are not really this disease at all, but something else instead. Vascular dementia is often mistaken for AD, and sometimes the rare Lewy Body Dementia (which produces somewhat different symptoms than Alzheimer’s)