Dr. Majid Fotuhi

She doesn't do much.

And the sister wanted me to confirm diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease so that she could get a power attorney, sell her house, and pay for her nursing home.

And I thought, she's too young.

I'm in 70s.

And she had many medical issues.

She had depression that was not fully treated.

She had back pain.

She was taking multiple pain medications, which were sedating.

And she had a sedentary lifestyle.

She was sitting there all the time.

And I remember the first time I saw her, she was an African American lady wearing a very beautiful blue dress, blue jacket, but she didn't talk much.

The sister did all the talking and her husband was there who had emphysema and was taking some oxygen too.

But anyway, I felt like I can make a diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease in the patient because she has a lot of treatable component.

See, when people get older, they have two sets of problems in their brain.

what we call Alzheimer's issues, the plaques and tangles, these proteins that accumulate, and this non quote unquote Alzheimer's issues, medical things, metabolic things.

And if you take care of this metabolic, medical things, there will be improved blood flow to the brain, there will be reduced inflammation, and it will be better cleaning and rinsing that happens in the brain.

So I worked with her and she started to perk up.

I reduced her medications.

I treated her sleep apnea.

We addressed her depression with medications and cognitive behavioral therapy.