More Americans are being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s

CHARLOTTE — Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and not all of them are retirement age.

In the past few years, there has been a 200% increase in the number of Americans diagnosed in their 50s, 40s, and even in their 30s.

Channel 9 spoke with one of those patients who’s choosing a path of hope instead of hiding from the disease.

Victoria Bayle just celebrated her 49th birthday. The wife, mother, and huge Penn State fan said she has always lived big, but then things changed.

“44 to 45 years old is when I started to notice changes,” Bayle said. “I was driving through town one day, and all of a sudden I didn’t know where I was.”

She underwent cognitive testing, a neuropsychiatric evaluation, and a spinal puncture before officially receiving a diagnosis.

“It was all over her face. Again, we’re very good friends, and she said, “I’m so sorry, you have Alzheimer’s.” She was actually crying,” Bayle explained.

Dr. Riddhi Patira is a neurologist and said early detection is critical when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease.

“We want to make a diagnosis, and we want to start treatment because there are therapies that are emerging. And if someone is a candidate, it’s time-sensitive,” Patira said.

“You can’t change what’s happened, but what you can do is make your lifestyle changes to do the best things for your body and mind,” Bayle elaborated.

So Bayle drastically improved her diet and added weight training to her walking routine.

She’s also trying to get Leqembi, a new FDA-approved infusion treatment for mild Alzheimer’s. But it cost thousands of dollars, and she doesn’t believe her private insurance will cover it.

CMS proved it, which is Medicare for folks who are on disability. Which I am, but I haven’t been disabled long enough to get that,” Bayle said.

Bayle said she knows she’s in the fight for her life and since her diagnosis, she has raised thousands of dollars for the Alzheimer’s Association. She also recently lobbied in D.C. for more research funding.

However, in the meantime she is embracing all that life has to offer.

“I think that when you are faced with knowing time is limited, you really just learn to appreciate it and live it up,” Bayle said.

Alzheimer’s is classified as early onset if the patient is younger than 65. However, researchers can’t say exactly why some people get it at a younger age than others.

Family history is a risk factor but not a guarantee that someone will develop it.

For more information regarding the disease, including a list of signs and symptoms, click here.

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