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The fact that only 1 in 8 Americans older than 65 has Alzheimer’s fails to register. That's supposed to be comforting? Alzheimer's isn't the only way for your
by orangecat 15y ago
The fact that only 1 in 8 Americans older than 65 has Alzheimer’s fails to register.
That's supposed to be comforting? Alzheimer's isn't the only way for your mind to fall apart, and a lower bound of 12.5% of that happening doesn't give me warm fuzzies. Aging really, really sucks and we need to fix it.
- biot 15y agoThat was my take as well... people are hopeful that they'll win the lottery at odds of one in millions. Would people not play the lottery if the odds were "only" one in eight? Alzheimer's is only slightly better odds than Russian roulette.
- archgoon 15y agoSmokers have a 11-17% chance of developing lung cancer, according to this study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895211 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895211
- corin_ 15y agoAs a smoker, my two thoughts are: 1.) I'd rather have a 10% chance of dying than a 10% chance of living many years with something like Alzheimer's. 2.) I'm not someone who says "I wish I could quit but I'm addicted", I find it easy not to smoke but I do it because I really enjoy smoking. I'm trading possible early death with current pleasure. Alzheimer's doesn't have any upside or choice involved.
- ewald 15y agoYou say it like if you smoke, you cannot get Alzheimer.
- corin_ 15y agoNo, I really don't. I was merely pointing out the difference between smoking risks and normal risks. As a smoker maybe I have an equal chance of getting lung cancer as Alzheimer's, but personally I'm more worried about the latter.
- archgoon 15y agoHi, just wanted to make clear that my main point is that most people consider the risks of smoking and getting cancer to be a real concern. So I find it disingenuous for the author to claim that "Hey 10%! That's pretty unlikely!" Probably should have added something like that to the original post, my pardon.