It's predicted to be the defining disease of the baby boom generation - Alzheimer’s - the incurable brain disorder that destroys memory and personality, as well as the ability to speak and function.  It's already the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in eight Americans over the age of sixty-five already has the disease; over the age of eighty-five, nearly one in two.  As seventy-eight million baby boomers continue to age, the number of people with Alzheimer's may triple by 2050, and experts warn that without effective treatment, this explosion of cases could become the nation's greatest health care crisis.
 

In this hour-long special report, “Fade To Darkness: The Age Of Alzheimer’s,” we'll meet Alzheimer's patients and their families.  We'll also look at the latest research into treatment, diagnosis and prevention, and we'll explore whether sufficient funding and planning are in place to provide care for what experts are calling a "tsunami" of Alzheimer's cases to come in the next few decades.

This news-friendly hour-long program is enhanced by an extensive web presence including photo slideshows and video, extended interviews, extra feature pieces and Alzheimer's-related information and resources.  That's all here, at our web site, WBUR.org

For more information on this and other programs from 90.9 WBUR Boston, please contact Namita Raina, National Program Administrator, 90.9 WBUR Boston. (617) 353-8160  e-mail: nraina@bu.edu