What is your greatest fear?

It is apparently the most joked about medical condition in Britain, now new research has confirmed it to be the most feared.

Recent international surveys from the Harvard School of Public Health revealed Brits and Americans have anxiety over Alzheimer’s disease.

The disease is the second most feared health condition according to the survey, with more than 85% of subjects in five surveyed countries stating they would prefer to know earlier rather than later if they had the neurological disease.

Mnemophobia is the fear of memory loss or the fear of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Cancer came in at the number one feared health condition in four of the five countries surveyed.

The study also found more than 85% of surveyed adults were able to identify common symptoms of the disease, such as confusion and becoming disorientated and lost.

Besides shedding light on the widespread fear of developing Alzheimer’s, the results also highlighted two prevalent misconceptions about the disease.

Across the five countries, 27 to 63% of respondents said they believed there was treatment that could slow the progression of the disease, and 38 to 59% said they believed there was a definitive test to determine if a patient was suffering from the disease.

Almost 40% of Americans and more than 50% of Europeans surveyed were unaware that Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal condition.

However, the vast majority of respondents indicated they supported increased government funding for Alzheimer’s research and would immediately contact doctors if they or family members exhibited “tell-tale” symptoms of the disease.

The study included telephone interviews with 2,678 adults from the United States, Spain, France, Germany, and Poland; and the results were presented at the Alzheimer Association’s International Conference last week.

“Many of the public have high expectations about the possibilities of treatment alternatives and medical testing,” co-author and School of Public Health Professor Robert Blendon, said.

“It is important for doctors to talk to patients about what treatment and testing options are available, and which treatments are not.”

Click here to read DPS eNews’ story on dementia being the most joked about condition in Britain.

Which health condition do you fear the most? Tell us your thoughts in the comment box below.