Getting Ahead Of Frontotemporal Dementia Through Early Intervention And Being Attentive To Family
In mid-February, actor Bruce Willis’ family announced his aphasia diagnosis has progressed into frontotemporal dementia (FTD). FTD affects between 50,000-60,000 Americans. Most patients are between 45-65 years old, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The disease is progressive, meaning symptoms get worse over time. Dr. Deepak Nair, a neurologist with OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute, says while someone might not die as a result of FTD, it can lead to other health problems that do cause death. He calls the brain and nervous system the “master control” over every other organ system. "It's sort of like what happened in the COVID era. People are talking about 'are the people dying from COVID or with COVID?' Same problem. When people die of dementia, there are a lot of other things that can lead to their death. But the processes of dementia, over time, will start to affect other organ systems. In that sense, any of the known dementias will
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