Danger level: High

What is it?

Alzheimer disease (AD)  is a disorder which causes a deterioration in mental functioning, especially memory loss.

Who gets it?

In the US, more than 14% of people over age 65 have AD, and after age 80 the number reaches 40%. All in all there are about 4 million Americans with the disease.

Around the world, the percentages are similar.

There are some risk factors – having those puts a person at a higher risk of developing AD:

1. Age – The disease usually affects people after the age of 65. It can, rarely, affect people younger than 40 (we will talk about this on tomorrow’s post).

   
   Old age – the older you are, the more at risk you are to develop AD. Photo by jamelah

2. Family history – If you have first-degree relatives (parents, siblings) with the disease, your risk of developing it yourself are higher.
3. Sex – Women tend to have the disease more than men.
4. Education level – People who had less education during their lifetime are more likely to get AD than other, more educated, people.
5. Down syndrome – People with Down syndrome tend to develop AD in their 30s and 40s.
6. High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure

What causes it?

No one knows for sure what causes AD. What is known, though, is that AD causes damage to the brain.

Our brain is composed of cells called neurons. They help the brain serve as the control center for the body, controlling everything from movement to memory and understanding.

In AD there are two things found in brain cells which scientists believe are related to the damage that’s caused to them:

1. Senile plaques
2. Neurofibrillary tangles

These are both materials that accumulate in small numbers during our normal aging of the brain. In AD, for reasons unknown, they occur in excess.

The brain of an Alzheimer patient under a microscope. The groups of plaques shown around the picture are senile plaques. Photo by KGH

How does it feel?

AD is a type of dementia, which is a group of diseases in which people have a decline in their mental functions, especially memory loss.

When someone has AD, its signs usually start gradually and are often subtle. They include:

• Memory problems –
  - AD patients tend to forget recent events (including conversations they had)
  - They have trouble finding the right words – Including names, often of family members and everyday objects
  - They repeat things they had already said
  - They forget appointments
  - They misplace things
• Trouble performing complex tasks – Like paying the bills
• Disorientation – They may get lost in familiar places
• Loss of judgment – They forget what to do in situations such as fire starting in the house.

How is it discovered?

Besides taking a history and discovering the problems described above, the doctor can perform a special test called the Mini-Mental State Exam, which tests a person’s problem solving skills, attention span, counting skills and memory.

Other than that, lab tests and imaging of the body may be done to rule out other causes of the memory decline.

How is it treated?

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for AD.

There are certain drugs which can be given to patients, which include names such as Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda.

None of these cure the disease, but studies have shown that they may improve mental function.

What happens after treatment?

AD tends to get worse over time. The rate at which the person worsens is different for each person.

People with AD tend to die earlier than normal (although they may live anywhere from 3-20 years after the diagnosis). They usually become immobile and disabled with the advancement of the disease. Usually death isn’t a direct result of the disease, but of an infection or failure of body systems.

There’s no proven way to prevent AD. You may be able to reduce your risk of developing it by controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood.

Studies have also shown that participating in leisure activities such as reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments, and dancing may lower your risk of developing AD.

This excellent video shows the progression of the disease inside the brain:

What next?

Get free site updates by RSS or by Email, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Google Buzz.

Related posts:

1. Tragedy of Rebecca Doig – A 31 Years Old New Mother with Alzheimer Disease
2. Lung Cancer – Why You May Be at Risk (As Seen on House MD)
3. Predicting Alzheimer’s Through One’s Writing
4. As Seen On 24 – Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease – A Disease Caused by Prions
5. Parkinson’s Disease – 1 Out of 100 People Over Age 60