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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (750028)	10/28/2013 8:50:00 PM
From: bentway	Respond to of 1574751

Could Someone Run the Country With Alzheimer's Disease? Jan. 17, 2011 By KATIE MOISSE, ABC News Medical Unit Health Editor ABCNEWS.com NEXT VIDEODid Reagan Have Alzheimer's In Office? Six years after finishing his second term as the president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's -- a devastating neurological disease that impairs memory, judgment and reasoning. But the former president's son, Ron Reagan, says he saw the early signs of Alzheimer's while his father was still in office. "It wasn't anything that obvious. It wasn't like, 'Oh my God, he doesn't remember he's president,' Ron Reagan said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. "It was just, I had an inkling that there might be something going on." Ron Reagan recounts what he calls the early signs in his new book, "My Father at 100: A Memoir." Alzheimer's disease, which is estimated to affect up to 5.1 million people in the U.S. according to the National Institute on Aging, is an irreversible and progressive brain disease that affects a person's ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. But subtler changes in memory and mood can signal the disease's early stages. "Most commonly people complain of short term memory issues," said Dr. Gary Small, director of the University of California, Los Angeles Center on Aging. Forgetting plans and having trouble remembering names or words -- the so-called 'tip of the tongue' phenomenon -- are common early symptoms. And although they might not interfere with someone's job in the beginning, they will as they worsen. "If it really is early Alzheimer's and it progresses over the years, the person's memory and cognitive ability become more impaired," said Dr. David Loewenstein, chief of psychiatry at the University of Miami. This can affect a person's attention to detail and their ability to keep track of situations and react accordingly -- all of which affect a person's ability to do their job. For Ronald Reagan, the job was running the country. Did Ronald Reagan Have Early Alzheimers' in the White House?Ron Reagan said his father's confusion during a 1984 debate -- just three years in to what would be an eight year presidency -- prompted his concern. "There was just something that was off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it," Ron Reagan told " 20/20's" Elizabeth Vargas. Ron Reagan's half-brother, Michael Reagan, has publicly rejected the notion that their father had symptoms of Alzheimer's during his tenure as president. "Look what he accomplished in the last four years of his presidency: Reykjavik, START agreements, all the things he accomplished. The speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987 on June 12th," Michael Reagan said in an interview on CBS' "The Early Show." "Someone with dementia does not accomplish all of those things." But depending on the level of support people have in organizing their daily lives, early symptoms of Alzheimer's may go unnoticed, Loewenstein said. "A lot of people in very high positions -- not just presidents -- are surrounded by people who organize their lives and cover for them," Loewenstein said. "I've seen cases where people are, frankly, demented and actually very impaired in doing their job, but they're covered for so successfully by their staff." Whether the former president himself noticed any early changes is unclear. Ron wrote in his book: "I've seen no evidence that my father (or anyone else) was aware of his medical condition while he was in office."

To: i-node who wrote (750028)	10/29/2013 12:47:45 AM
From: tejek	1 Recommendation Recommended By bentway Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1574751

>> Let me remind you its believed the last half of his administration he was fighting Alzheimer's. No. It is not "believed", except by left wing nutjobs who lack any shred of integrity and are totally controlled by their political viewpoints. Speed It Up! Regan, the man next to Reagan, was his Chief of Staff from 1985-1987. People forget how old Reagan was during his presidency probably because he dyed his hair or wore a toupee..........in 1985, he was 74. He was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1994. Alzheimers is a progressive disease.....its very likely he was manifesting symptoms 7-9 years before the actual diagnosis. Hence the despicable and frightening interaction in the video.