| Today, it would be barely credible that people hadn’t heard of Alzheimer’s – the most common cause of dementia – as |
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The Alzheimer’s symptoms to look out forStory by Clare Wilson
25/08/2025
(See translation in Arabic section)
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: One of my favourite books is The Cider House Rules by John Irving, where one character is a middle-aged man who is confused and forgetful. It turned out he had early Alzheimer’s disease. When I read this, in the 1980s, I hadn’t yet heard of the term or the medical condition, and nor had the man’s family in the novel. For years, they suspected him of secretly drinking. Today, it would be barely credible that people hadn’t heard of Alzheimer’s – the most common cause of dementia – as it seems to be constantly in the media, thanks to widespread awareness-raising campaigns. Half of people now say dementia is the health condition they fear the most, according to data from Alzheimer’s Research UK. When my middle-aged friends forget something they sometimes comment – only half-jokingly – that it may be a sign of Alzheimer’s. So, I was fascinated to see that a book is being published called Is it Alzheimer’s? 101 answers to your most pressing questions about memory loss and dementia. While much of the book is advice for people with a family member who has dementia, the first chapter – “Should I worry about my memory?” – could have been written expressly for anyone who seems to be fretting about their forgetfulness. The author is Dr Peter Rabins, formerly a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, who specialised in treating people with dementia.
(Photo: Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty)
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