Others who want help don't know where to turn. In a survey conducted by the Alzheimer's Association last year, people said they were just as afraid of becoming Alzheimer's caregivers as they were of getting the disease themselves.

Yet, this year there also is good news. Care for Alzheimer's victims has improved. A phone call or visit to the Alzheimer's Association can be the first step for individuals and families to get the help they desperately need. Last year, the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association assisted thousands by helping them identify symptoms of Alzheimer's, cope with diagnosis, handle difficult behaviors, reduce caregiver stress, assist in time of crisis and provide advice on how to find the best care for a loved one.

The chapter's services have expanded and now include 35 support groups throughout the state, a lending library, education programs and the "Give Respite a Try" program, which provides the caregiver temporary relief from the intensive responsibility of caring for a loved one at home.

A clinic for people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders will be opening as part of a new Alzheimer's research program at the University of Utah. More services are available now than ever before.

There also is good news from research. We now know that Alzheimer's disease is caused from an imbalance in the regulation of the protein beta-amyloid. Normally, this protein is carefully controlled in the brain. Aging, genetic damage and brain injury can disrupt processing of beta-amyloid and cause Alzheimer's.

New technology is now being brought into play to help with diagnosing and choosing therapy. For example, positron emission tomography scans image brain chemistry and show the effects of disease, including plaques of beta-amyloid. New analysis methods now help detect the earliest signs of disease permitting early intervention.

It also is now possible to duplicate the disruption of beta-amyloid and successfully treat it in mice. Already, drugs that prevent amyloid accumulation and help remove amyloid or inhibit amyloid production are being studied in patients. While we still have a long way to go, this progress refutes the still-too-common belief that Alzheimer's is untreatable or hopeless.

With Alzheimer's, early intervention is crucial. The sooner people receive a diagnosis and get help, the more control they have over their lives and planning for their future. The tragedy is that too often patients and families delay, making treatment more difficult and less effective. If you've had times when you've wanted someone to talk to because you were overwhelmed with providing care, or if you've noticed some possible symptoms of Alzheimer's in yourself or a loved one and need answers, we urge you to call the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association today at 800-371-6694 (toll-free in Utah).

This week we will observe the Alzheimer's Association annual remembrance ceremony to remember and honor the lives of our friends and family members who have had Alzheimer's disease. This observance is part of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, first established by former President Ronald Reagan in November 1983. He recognized the importance of supporting patients and their families and conducting research, not suspecting at the time that he and his family, too, would be afflicted.

You also can get information at the chapter website, http://www.alzutah.org. By using research advances and by empowering and supporting families we can make a difference for our friends and relatives with Alzheimer's disease.

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Norman L. Foster is professor of neurology at the Center for Alzheimer's Care, Imaging and Research, University of Utah.

Michael Wood is president of the board of directors of the Alzheimer's Association Utah Chapter.