Ronald Reagan

“ Alzheimer's disease, a devastating disease that affects the cells of the brain, is now regarded as the major form of old age "senility." While experts formerly believed that Alzheimer's occurred only in persons under 65, it now is recognized as the most common cause of severe intellectual impairment in older individuals. Presently, there is no established treatment that can cure, reverse or stop the progression of this disease, which is the cause of serious confusion and forgetfulness in about 1.5-2.5 million elderly persons in the United States. ”

“ Because there is an association of dementia with aging and because Americans are living longer, the numbers affected by this disease will continue to grow. As many as half of those in nursing homes suffer from this degenerative brain disease. Also, because of the decrease in life expectancy accompanying the illness, Alzheimer's is thought to be the fourth leading cause of death among adults of age 65 or more. Generally, from the time of onset, the disease reduces a person's remaining life expectancy by about one-half. ”