How do people die of Alzheimer's? In the wake of Gene Wilder's death, we explain the devastating implications of the disease

Gene Wilder, the revered actor who immortalized Willy Wonka and Dr Frankenstein, died this week after a three-year battle with Alzheimer's. 


It is a devastatingly common disease, and the sixth highest cause of death in the United States. However, many people do not know how one dies from it. Google searches for 'what are complications of alzheimers' rocketed up 3,950 per cent after Gene Wilder's son announced the actor's death on Monday. Searches for 'how do people die of alzheimers' went up 650 per cent. Alzheimer's sufferers typically die from complications related to the disease.