By Rebecca Leibowitz
CNN Medical Intern

It all started one afternoon. “Grandma,” I asked, “how did Karen like my hand-me-downs?” “What?” she responded, “I didn’t know what those clothes were doing in my trunk. I gave them to charity.” We all knew immediately that something was wrong. And there was more to come. Once a skilled, careful driver, my grandmother terrified her passengers when she blew through a stop sign as if it didn’t exist. I would catch her staring at me in confusion, often calling me by the name of my cousin or aunt. My grandmother, like her own grandmother, two brothers and a first cousin, has become one of the estimated 5.3 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia.

Our family has learned what many other families know well: Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. We’ve seen our loved ones change into someone entirely different. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a person develops the disease every 70 seconds in the U.S., and the amount of people living with Alzheimer’s is expected to double every 20 years. The illness’ economic costs are nearly as distressing as its emotional toll. Each year, an estimated $148 billion is spent on Alzheimer’s, including direct costs of Medicare and Medicaid and indirect costs to businesses. This figure, like the burden of Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., is expected to only get worse.

Alzheimer’s has no cure and its damage can begin decades before symptoms are apparent. The exact cause is still unknown, but tangles and plaques in the brain are thought to lead to symptoms like memory loss, poor judgment, changes in mood or behavior. Without a cure in sight for this disease, what can people like my mom, who is approaching the age when the disease could already be developing, do to prevent or slow the onset of this debilitating illness?

Researchers are convinced that mental activity and socialization can help. Reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments and dancing have all been shown to decrease the risk of contracting any form of dementia. Engage your brain, build up your social networks and you’ll put off getting the disease or possibly avoid getting it altogether.

Other studies have found a link between unhealthy living and increased Alzheimer’s risk. A study earlier this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry concluded that for people with a family history of the disease, high blood pressure in middle age is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s in old age. So, what can you do if Alzheimer’s is prevalent in your family? Don’t smoke, eat a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet, stay stress-free and exercise regularly. Not only will these measures decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s, they will improve your overall quality and length of life.

Unfortunately, this information wasn’t around when my grandmother was growing up. But for my mom, her siblings and myself, (as well as the millions of other Americans with a strong family history of the illness), there is hope. Not only can we decrease our Alzheimer’s risk by maintaining a healthy and active brain and body, but researchers are constantly discovering new things about prevention and treatment of the disease. Perhaps one day we will even find a cure.

Do you have a history of Alzheimer’s disease in your family? Are you taking any measures to try to keep from contracting the disease?

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By Rebecca Leibowitz
CNN Medical Intern

I had H1N1. It started with a cough, which quickly progressed to a headache, body aches and a 102-degree fever. A rapid flu test came back positive, confirming my diagnosis. Although this nasal swab test for H1N1 is not very reliable, so much so that it is no longer being used, I had all of the symptoms of the flu. H1N1 was pretty much the only strain circulating in late August, so chances are very high that I did indeed have it. I spent the next three days isolated in my apartment, pumping my body with vitamin C and chicken soup. Then I was fine. I felt great and I was no longer contagious; I could go to class, to the grocery store and to the gym without fear of infecting others. To my friends, I was finally “swine-free.”

My decision whether to be vaccinated against H1N1 has been made for me. Since I most likely already had H1N1, and therefore have built up immunity to the virus, I will not be getting a vaccination. However, millions of Americans are facing the decision of whether to vaccinate themselves and their children against the novel influenza A virus.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following high-priority groups get vaccinated: pregnant women; people who live with or provide care for infants younger than six months; health workers; people aged six months to 24 years old; and people 25-64 years old with certain pre-existing conditions.

So, when my mom told me that her doctor recommended she not get the H1N1 vaccine, I was confused. As a chronic Lyme disease sufferer (who is well under 64) and a social worker who works with very young children, my mom fits into one of the high-risk groups. Why, then, did her doctor advise her against getting it?

As I later discovered, there are several reasons why people are apprehensive about getting the H1N1 vaccination. My mom’s doctor told her that he did not see the evidence that the H1N1 inoculation protects one from getting the virus, a concern he also raised regarding the seasonal flu vaccine. This contradicts what the CDC has been saying for weeks. CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden recently told reporters that the vaccine should work very well because “it is an excellent match with the strains of the virus that are circulating.”

There is also widespread concern about the safety of the vaccine. During the 1976 swine flu epidemic in the United States, those who received the vaccine for that strand of swine flu were proven to have an elevated risk of contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome. Guillain-Barré syndrome is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of its nervous system. The most common complications from Guillain-Barré syndrome are breathing-related, and patients are often placed on respirators. The majority of people who contract the disorder recover, but it can be fatal.

The CDC says that it expects the H1N1 inoculation to follow a similar safety profile as the seasonal influenza vaccine, which has not been associated with increased risk of Guillain-Barré. Officials also say that this new pandemic vaccine is much “purer” than the 1976 inoculation. The expected side effects from the 2009 H1N1 vaccine are similar to those from the regular flu shot, including soreness or swelling at the point of injection, low-grade fever and body aches. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration will be closely monitoring the safety of the immunization. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System exists so that health care providers can report vaccine concerns directly.

And then there are those who think natural immunity is better and safer than any vaccine and are suggesting “swine flu parties” are the way to go – get yourself infected with H1N1 and your body will build up immunity. Most doctors and the CDC strongly advise against this method of protection.

What factors have influenced your decision whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine? What advice has your doctor given you? Have you come to a decision whether to vaccinate you or your children?