How long does alzheimer's take to progress from initial symptoms to the worst? i'm doing research for my parents, and i'd like to get general ballpark figures on how long it takes from the first symptoms to the point when an alzheimer's patient can no lon

This : This is really hard to tell, because it will vary tremendously for each patient. The best way to tell is how fast things have already been progressing. The determination is based on when the person is no longer safe, but that determination will vary as well. It really has to be based on a decision between your doctor and the family. Some people go 10-20 years with mild dementia. Others don't notice a problem until it's very advanced, then in 1-3 years need supervision. Usually it is not less than one year, and sometimes they stay fine for the rest of their lives. That's really the best ballpark i can give. It really depends on that person's rate of decline.

Alzheimer's progress: It varies. A useful website is here: http://bit.Ly/wosu0r . Also, it's helpful to remember that interventions can alter the progression. This includes both prescriptive agents as well as such integrative interventions as more vitamin c, resveratrol, physical exercise, etc.

8-10years: 8-10 years is the average duration from onset of symptoms of alzheimer's disease to death.