Jennifer Walker, Executive Director for the Alzheimer's Association of Mississippi, said anyone who shows symptoms will qualify.
Walker said, “The earlier we can detect this gene, 20 years in advance of us ever potentially getting this diagnosis, we can put healthy habits into place that we will never even be diagnosed. And that’s where we are right now.”
Walker is also backing federal legislation that would require Medicare to cover the cost of testing for people who are asymptomatic. She said that change would help patients detect the disease sooner and take steps to slow its progression.
The Alzheimer's Association ranks Mississippi as having the third-highest rate of the disease in the nation.
A common misconception about Alzheimer’s is that it is a natural part of aging, but it doesn’t have to be, according to Paulita Edwards-Childs, director of the Healthy Aging Bureau at the Mississippi Department of Health. She said getting diagnosed can be life-saving, as Alzheimer's is the fifth leading cause of death for people 65 and older.
Edwards-Childs said, “If you’re younger than 65, then yes, you will get charged. But that is okay to find out, ‘Do I have cognitive decline or not?’ At any age, if you feel like you need to have it done, ask your physician.”
June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.
