'Car Talk' Host's Death: How Does Alzheimer's Disease Kill?

Tom Magliozzi, one of the hosts of the National Public Radio show "Car Talk," died yesterday (Nov. 3) from complications of Alzheimer's disease, according to news reports. But Alzheimer's disease is not usually a direct cause of brain death — that is, it does not suddenly cause the entire brain to cease functioning, said Dr. Marc L. Gordon, chief of neurology at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, New York, who was not involved in Magliozzi's care. Most often, the complications of the debilitating disease are what cause the death of Alzheimer's patients, Gordon said. These complications include infections, such as infections of bedsores that occur when people stay in bed for prolonged periods. Read More http://ift.tt/1E3SVQi