3 ms·

Surely heart disease and cancer are higher priority[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_

Surely heart disease and cancer are higher priority[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rat...

sampleinajar 8y ago
For some, I imagine death is preferable to dementia.
- jacobsenscott 8y ago
  I've seen dementia run its course a few times now, and I'll take any other kind of death.
- shrimp_emoji 8y ago
  It certainly would be for me, depending on the extent, but you can check out once you get a diagnosis. But you might not even get to that diagnosis if cancer or heart disease kills you before that (as the statistics overwhelmingly suggest it will), so you'll always have a net loss of "non-dementia years of life" without fixing those. Unless you're thinking: you're willing to accept that whether or not you'll ever get dementia in the first place because cowardice or social pressure would prevent you from checking out once you do get the diagnosis. But that's sad and pretty unfair to yourself and others.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    So when do you check out? Dementia can insidiously can take years to develop, and by the time you're far enough along to need it to end you're already potentially too far along to know it. Losing your mental faculties is losing the ability to make objective decisions like that.
    - joaomacp 8y ago
      That part makes me less scared of dementia. The fact that I'll not even realize I have it, and will just feel confused about who people are and where I am... Kind of like when I was a little child.
      - malandrew 8y ago
        Vouching for this comment. Not sure why this comment was killed, but it's just as valid opinion as being scared of getting dementia. At the end of the day, people don't return from dementia (yet) so we don't really know if it's a bad way to go or a good way to go purely from the perspective of the afflicted. It's certainly painful for the loved ones of those afflicted with it, but for the person experiencing it, it could be similar to how a small child experiences the world or a drug induced stupor that many people voluntarily subject themselves to recreationally.
      - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
        It's not me that I worry about - it's the people I love.
- Nasrudith 8y ago
  To be frank dementia is death but fuzzier and more drawn out. I know fron experience with Alzheimer'd in family - it is a loss of self such that by the end they were effectively dead for years - just confused remnants of personality and inability to interact meaningfully - it is horrifying. At least when someone in your family gets hit by a truck you know when you lost them.
  - cogman10 8y ago
    Yeah. I don't think people who haven't experienced it know how bad it is. My grandmother had dementia and by the end she didn't know who my mother (her daughter) was. I just can't think of a worse fate not just for the suffer, but for those that love them. It is a constant painful and sad reminder for loved ones to interact with them. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
    - wdb 8y ago
      You can't imagine how much joy it gives you when your father suddenly screams out your name when you visit him after years of not calling your name. He had Alzheimer's too
TheGoddessInari 8y ago
I think there's a difference between dying and the terror of losing your memories and identity years or even decades before your death.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  Not to mention the burden on your loved ones. Let me die still being able to tell my wife I love her.
melling 8y ago
You're doing that thing where you think we can't put sufficient resources behind cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease to make good progress. We have 325 million Americans and a $20 trillion economy. When robots, etc come for our jobs, perhaps we'll figure out a way to get more people into R&D? Would an extra 100,000 people working on each problem help?
Broken_Hippo 8y ago
Just because things cause death and are widespread doesn't mean we shouldn't research other things. Folks research different things due to specialties, and some things are more easily cured than others. Besides, sometimes a breakthrough with one disease means a breakthrough with a slew of other things and sometimes a "failed" treatment is simply misplaced and the drug/treatment is a great thing for something else entirely.

Surely heart disease and cancer are higher priority[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rat...

sampleinajar 8y ago

For some, I imagine death is preferable to dementia.

jacobsenscott 8y ago
I've seen dementia run its course a few times now, and I'll take any other kind of death.
shrimp_emoji 8y ago
It certainly would be for me, depending on the extent, but you can check out once you get a diagnosis. But you might not even get to that diagnosis if cancer or heart disease kills you before that (as the statistics overwhelmingly suggest it will), so you'll always have a net loss of "non-dementia years of life" without fixing those. Unless you're thinking: you're willing to accept that whether or not you'll ever get dementia in the first place because cowardice or social pressure would prevent you from checking out once you do get the diagnosis. But that's sad and pretty unfair to yourself and others.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  So when do you check out? Dementia can insidiously can take years to develop, and by the time you're far enough along to need it to end you're already potentially too far along to know it. Losing your mental faculties is losing the ability to make objective decisions like that.
  - joaomacp 8y ago
    That part makes me less scared of dementia. The fact that I'll not even realize I have it, and will just feel confused about who people are and where I am... Kind of like when I was a little child.
    - malandrew 8y ago
      Vouching for this comment. Not sure why this comment was killed, but it's just as valid opinion as being scared of getting dementia. At the end of the day, people don't return from dementia (yet) so we don't really know if it's a bad way to go or a good way to go purely from the perspective of the afflicted. It's certainly painful for the loved ones of those afflicted with it, but for the person experiencing it, it could be similar to how a small child experiences the world or a drug induced stupor that many people voluntarily subject themselves to recreationally.
    - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
      It's not me that I worry about - it's the people I love.
Nasrudith 8y ago
To be frank dementia is death but fuzzier and more drawn out. I know fron experience with Alzheimer'd in family - it is a loss of self such that by the end they were effectively dead for years - just confused remnants of personality and inability to interact meaningfully - it is horrifying. At least when someone in your family gets hit by a truck you know when you lost them.
- cogman10 8y ago
  Yeah. I don't think people who haven't experienced it know how bad it is. My grandmother had dementia and by the end she didn't know who my mother (her daughter) was. I just can't think of a worse fate not just for the suffer, but for those that love them. It is a constant painful and sad reminder for loved ones to interact with them. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
  - wdb 8y ago
    You can't imagine how much joy it gives you when your father suddenly screams out your name when you visit him after years of not calling your name. He had Alzheimer's too

TheGoddessInari 8y ago

I think there's a difference between dying and the terror of losing your memories and identity years or even decades before your death.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
Not to mention the burden on your loved ones. Let me die still being able to tell my wife I love her.

melling 8y ago

You're doing that thing where you think we can't put sufficient resources behind cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease to make good progress. We have 325 million Americans and a $20 trillion economy. When robots, etc come for our jobs, perhaps we'll figure out a way to get more people into R&D? Would an extra 100,000 people working on each problem help?

Broken_Hippo 8y ago

Just because things cause death and are widespread doesn't mean we shouldn't research other things. Folks research different things due to specialties, and some things are more easily cured than others. Besides, sometimes a breakthrough with one disease means a breakthrough with a slew of other things and sometimes a "failed" treatment is simply misplaced and the drug/treatment is a great thing for something else entirely.