Many of you may have seen Larry King's CNN special last night on Alzheimer's disease. It was a one-hour special report on the urgency of the challenge this disease poses for our aging population, for our health care system, and for our society.
Overall, I thought there was a fair amount of good information presented. The expert testimonies from Dr. Ron Petersen at the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Jeffrey Cummings from the Cleveland Clinic were excellent and clearly characterized the nature and the magnitude of this epidemic. Heartfelt stories from care givers brought a very personal face to the disease and provided an in depth look at the way this disease can affect an entire family.
Having said that, I also thought the show performed one major disservice to the public. There was much dramatic emphasis on the fact that Larry King and Ron Reagan visited the Cleveland Clinic to be evaluated for early signs of Alzheimer's and Ron Reagan chose to forgo an evaluation based on his preference to remain "blissfully ignorant".
To be clear, everyone has the right to make such a decision and I don't begrudge Reagan his right to do so. However, he couched his decision against the backdrop that "there is no cure" and implied that it is therefore better "not to know" about the early presence of disease process. This is a myth we need to stop perpetrating and Larry King missed the opportunity to set the record straight.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there is certainly treatment. Importantly, some people respond remarkably well to treatment, adding years of independence to their lives. Broadcasting the message that it is "better not to know", as King did last night, may prevent some people from gathering the facts and making a more informed decision,based on the knowledge that early intervention and appropriate treatment could be significantly beneficial.
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