Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia. Initially, this disease affects thought processes, memory and language, but then progresses to the motor centers of the brain.
As many as 4.5 million Americans may suffer from AD. Generally, it appears to be a disease of aging, although not a part of the normal aging process. About 5 percent of people age 65 to 74 have AD, and hearly half of those age 85 and older. (NOTE: The number of people with AD doubles every 5 years after the age of 65).
At post-mortem, the person who has had AD indicates a brain suffused with amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tangled bundles of fibers). Nerve cells have died, and connections between nerve cells severely disrupted.
The cause of AD is still not known. Although genes may play a role, family history as a risk factor does not seem to be very strong, unless among those rare few who get AD prior to 60 years old. Apoprotein E (required in everyone to carry cholesterol to its destination) may also play a role. However, this is still unclear.
There is some evidence that the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, may also play a role in AD (i.e. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels of the folate vitamin). Additionally, there is also some evidence that physical, mental and social activities may act as protection against the progress of AD symptoms.
There is no doubt that we have a long way to go in understanding the causes of AD. However, after years of research we are beginning to clarify the differences between age related memory changes, minimal cognitive disorder, and AD. Additionally, newer PET scans are pinpointing the diagnosis of AD, which is currently only defined through ruling out other disorders.
For further information, please refer to the Alzheimer's Association Web Site or the National Institute of Aging/National Institute of Health.
Source:
U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Aging
July 2006
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