Alzheimer's by Dylan E. and Aaron O. Period 7

Description:

When old people have short term memory loss and brain damage that can lead to death. It is a big problem in our society today, and we have had trouble curing it and it has caused many deaths. As Mr. Broome explained to us, symptoms of Alzheimer’s can be lack of paying attention and some short and long term memory loss. The price for Alzheimer’s is really not good for the economy. Over $200 billion is spent annually just treating Alzheimer’s. $40,000 for direct cost and $175,000 for indirect cost. This is important to science because it is an interesting disease that scientists are having trouble treating.

Benefits:

Alzheimer's is a very fatal and dangerous disease. Alzheimer's takes the life out of elderly people all around the world every year. Therefore,conducting research to cure Alzheimer's would benefit mankind very much. This would help us by extending the longevity of many elderly people across the globe. Also, it'd raise the life expectancy in many countries. Overall, researching for a cure in Alzheimer's would greatly benefit many people.

Risks:

Even though this research would prove to be something very positive for our country, this also has its downsides. Research for a reasonable cure would probably take a long time to take off the ground. The research would cost an overall $214 billion dollars including $150 billion dollars in medicare and medicaid. This could cause problems, as the research could backfire and since the research is very expensive, this could result in a huge economical downfall. Also, if the research doesn't end up well, then we'd have wasted a lot of big resources on it. Basically, it's a very high risk high reward process. 

Reflection:

Our concept would be viewed as one with strongly positive morals. This would be something that could potentially save the lives of many elderly people. I think that this is a very amazing opportunity to better the quality of health not only in America, but also across the globe. Studying a cure for Alzheimer's would also be a great way to increase the average lifespan of the everyday human. At this point in time, Alzheimer’s disease wouldn't affect me, but it still affects those around me such as friends and family. But Alzheimer’s could very easily affect me in the future, so overall the study for an Alzheimer’s cure would be a really big benefit for me. I think that humans should in fact look into re-designing life as it can honestly serve as an amazing genetic feat for mankind.

Interview Questions:

Interviewee	Question
Mr. Broome	Q: How do you feel about Alzheimer’s, knowing that you have experience with it in your family? A: My mom does have Alzheimer's. It really has aggravated me at times and it has caused some problems to our family. But most of the time, I poke fun at my mom for Alzheimer's. She tends to forget a lot and we joke with her and she hates it.
2. Mr. Litterini	Q: Would you fund research for Alzheimer’s cure? A: Of course, I would love to fund for such a disease. It has killed many people and scientists are having trouble treating. It would be such an honor if I could fund for Alzheimer's.

3. Julian	Q: How do you think we can help someone that has Alzheimer’s? A; Everyone can contribute. We can find for research for a cure. We should also due donations and charity for people who gave Alzheimer's.
4. Ivan	Q: Do you personally know anyone with alzeimer’s, if so, how do they act and how could they be helped? A: Fortunately, no one in my family has Alzheimer's. But I think this is a disease that needs to be widely treated. This disease has caused many deaths and has been know to be hard to treat.

Citations:

1. Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

2. Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet

3. Alzheimer's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/basics/definition/con-20023871

4. Alzheimer's Disease Stages: Mild, Moderate, and Severe. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-disease-stages