[Victoria Delsoul]

It is sad that a great man like Reagan has fallen victim to a scourge that kills more Americans than all other ailments except heart disease, cancer and strokes. I was reading the other day that there are 4 million people with Alzheimer's in the US, and 100,000 die every year. It is a mysterious, insidious malady that attacks and destroys brain cells, gradually causing memory loss, confusion and personality changes. Toward the end, many victims no longer know who they are or recognize their loved ones.

I hope one day soon we'll find the cure for this disease. Right now the only available treatment that I know of are drugs which merely improve intellectual performance in some patients but death generally comes within eight to 12 years of the diagnosis.

[MeekOneGOP]

I hope one day soon we'll find the cure for this disease. Right now the only available treatment that I know of are drugs which merely improve intellectual performance in some patients but death generally comes within eight to 12 years of the diagnosis.

Eight to 12 years, huh? Well, from this article then, it sounds like he is near the end of that range and beyond....

Reagan’s descent into Alzheimer’s was remarkably rapid after he left the White House in 1989 and soon became impossible to conceal.

Michael said Reagan’s great ally, Margaret Thatcher, was guest of honour at a birthday party for him in 1993.

I know that there is an article just posted on FR here that concerns the stem cell research and the promise it may hold for Alzheimer's patients. Too late for Ronald Reagan, but maybe it can help future Alzheimer's victims.