Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
It is an irreversible progressive brain disease that slowly destroys brain cells, destroying memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks.
The incidence of Alzheimer’s is rising; however, beyond treating merely the symptoms, treatment of the underlying causes is beginning to be addressed by researchers.
Find out the latest information on causes, prevalence, current treatments, and new treatment strategies that are on the horizon.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
Although how the disease starts is still unknown, we do know that damage to the brain begins as early as 10 to 20 years before problems are evident.
This occurs in the formation of abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles).
As plaques and tangles form, healthy neurons lose their ability to function, and eventually, they die.
This damaging process spreads to the hippocampus, a nearby structure that is essential for forming memories.
As the death of neurons increases, affected brain regions begin to shrink. By the final stage of Alzheimer’s, damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.
It is likely that over a long period, age-related changes, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors occur and contribute to disease progression.
1. Age-related changes in the brain include atrophy (shrinking) of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, and the production of unstable molecules called free radicals, which harm neurons.
2. Genetics- people who develop Alzheimer’s before age 65 usually have a mutation, or permanent change, in one of three inherited genes.
These gene mutations cause “early-onset” disease; however, not all early-onset cases are caused by these mutations.
Most people have “late-onset” disease, which usually develops after age 65.
3. Lifestyle factors- new research suggests that a nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement, and mentally stimulating activities can all help to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Scientists are now investigating associations between cognitive decline and vascular and metabolic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity to determine whether reducing risk factors for these diseases may help with Alzheimer’s.
New information on Alzheimer’s Disease
1. Prevalence -5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and 5.1 million of these are over age 65.
That is 1 in 8 people over the age of 65.
– More women have the disease than men, primarily because women live longer than men.
– Less education is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia, possibly due to less cognitive reserve, a lower socioeconomic status, and poorer medical care.
– African Americans are two times and Hispanics are one and one-half times more likely than whites to have dementia.
This may be related to the incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes, lower socioeconomic status, and lower education.
1. There are some medications used to treat this disease.
2. Current treatment – the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved
Five medications to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease by disease stage.
3. Future treatments
– Three separate clinical trials are beginning to determine future diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.
– Better diagnosis by using biomarkers to identify disease at a very early stage, where symptoms and impairment are milder.
– Immunoglobulin Treatment involves using intravenous immunoglobulin to reduce the presence of amyloid plaques.
– A gene therapy product designed to deliver nerve growth factor (NGF) to the brain for the treatment.
