Community Corner

Alzheimer's Disease Expert Shares New Details in Wildwood

FIRST ARTICLE OF TWO TOTAL: Rotary Club of West St. Louis County members hosted a valuable luncheon Tuesday chocked full of helpful information from a St. Louis geriatric professor and director about preventing Alzheimer's Disease.

Older age doesn't automatically equal forgetfulness, cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's Disease. Modern research points toward a variety of causes and it is critical to identify and treat specifics, a St. Louis geriatic psychiatric specialist told Rotary Club of West St. Louis County members Tuesday. Rotary members hosted a special luncheon presentation, with George Grossberg, M.D., as the guest speaker, at .

"If anyone in your family receives an undescribed 'dementia' diagnosis, the doctor hasn't done a good job of diagnosing the real medical issue," said Grossberg. "Many people who are really clinically depressed are misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's."

Harry Lemay, Rotarian and city council member for Ward 3, invited Grossberg to speak. He said St. Louis is lucky to have one of the top researchers in the United States living here in that Grossberg started Missouri's first geriatric psychiatry program in 1979. "We know an awful lot more about Alzheimer's Disease, and it's all possible with Dr. Grossberg's leadership," Lemay said.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Grossberg is the Samuel W. Fordyce professor and director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. In 1985, he started the first Alzheimer's Disease Community Brain Bank. He is the former president of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry and past president of the International Psychogeriatric Association.

Being a leader in developing mental health programs and in treatment and research in geriatrics, he is a recipient of the Missouri Adult Day Care Association Outstanding Physician Award for supporting programs that allow seniors to continue living indepedently or at home with their families.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Grossberg serves as medical editor of CNS Senior Care and section editor of Geriatric Psychiatry and of Current Psychiatry. He is on the editorial boards of Demencia Hoy and the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

Compared to what medical industry representatives thought was known 20 years ago about Alzheimer's Disease, senility is a myth that needs to be reconsidered, he told the group of nearly 60 attendees.

"Advanced age is the No. 1 risk factor, but three-fourths of patients have senile dementia," Grossberg said.

More than 5.3 million older adults in America are said to be living with Alzheimer's Disease, he said.

NON-MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE:

  1. Age
  2. Genetic factors
  3. Family history
  4. Early onset of Alzheimer's Disease mutations
  5. Late onset of Alzheimer's Disease mutations

Grossberg communicated the following lifestyle aspects can decrease the risk of or delay the onset of Alzheimer's Disease:

  • Social activity
  • Daily physical activity
  • Spiritual belief system
  • Challenging the brain through lifelong learning versus being couch potatoes.

He said current medical indicators are that daily physical activity for 15 to 30 minutes is essential, not just several times a week as once thought.

Editors Note:  Check back to Eureka-Wildwood Patch this week for a list of "Helpful Agents to Preventing Alzheimer's Disease" in the second article completing Grossberg's insights and recommendations.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eureka-Wildwood