Celebrity Person for the assignment is Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Jackson - Died in 1845 of Tuberculosis

Example of Template Assignment below,

Who is s/he & why is s/he famous?

Hollywood actor who became Governor of California & the 40th President of the United States

Cite one of their most notable achievements (song, book, movie, speech, invention, etc)

Film: Knute Rockne, All American (from which he acquired the nickname “the Gipper”)

CA Gov: signed Family Law Act, recognizing ‘no-fault divorce’ (an act he later regretted)

POTUS: “Reaganomics” – economic policy that reduced unemployment in the US

What was the cause of death?

Alzheimer’s Disease – age related neurodegenerative disorder

Describe the expected disease process & clinical course in the progression of the disease.

·       Disease process – cause of the disease & how it affects the organs involved

The exact cause of the disease is unknown.  It is a slowly degenerative disease of the affecting the neurons (gray matter) of the brain. Slowly worsens, destroying more neurons over time.

·       Clinical course – the expected evolution & outcome of a disease

Initially, episodic memory loss, delayed recall of visual or verbal stimuli with preservation of remote memory. Progressing to noticeable forgetfulness of past personal history, difficulty performing simple tasks (like dressing) and moodiness & withdrawal.  Finally, individuals loose ability to respond to their environment & need constant assistance with daily activities. The inevitable end outcome is death.

With modern medical technology, could this death have been prevented?

For this disease, no, the death could not have been prevented.  There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s. There are medications that that can slow the progress on the disease in the early stages.  There are no medications or treatments that can reverse the loss of memory or function that has already occurred.