Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, brain-wasting condition that affects people over the age of 65. AD is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that cause significant memory and thinking problems. The disease is named after the German physician Alois Alzheimer, who described it in 1906.
In 1901, Dr. Alzheimer was studying the brain of a deceased patient who had a history of unusual symptoms, including severe mood swings, difficulty speaking and sleeping, and memory lapses. On examining the brain tissue, Dr. Alzheimer discovered unusual clumps of protein called “plaques” and tangled bundles of fibres called “tangles.” He hypothesized that these plaques and tangles were the underlying cause of the patient’s symptoms.
However, it was several decades before scientists were able to confirm Dr. Alzheimer’s hypothesis and identify the disease known as Alzheimer’s.
Although scientists identified the cause of AD more than a century ago, there is still no cure for this disease. The best treatments currently available are designed to temporarily slow down the progression of the disease and provide relief from the symptoms of AD.
Early detection and intervention with medications can help preserve mental function and reduce reliance on caregivers. Despite these advances, many people still live with the devastating effects of this disease for years after diagnosis.
According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 5 million Americans are living with AD, which costs the U.S. economy $259 billion each year in health-care expenses and lost productivity.
In addition, there are nearly 16 million American adults age 60 and older who have either been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or are at risk of developing this condition. These numbers are expected to increase as the baby boomer generation continues to age. By the year 2050, the number of people age 65 and older in the United States is expected to almost double to more than 83 million. Given this dramatic increase in the prevalence of AD and other age-related diseases, it is more important than ever to take steps to prevent these conditions and improve the lives of older adults.
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Other causes include vascular dementia (caused by damage to the blood vessels supplying the brain) and Lewy body dementia (caused by abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain). These conditions are similar in some ways to Alzheimer’s disease.
However, there are important differences in the way they affect the body and the way they progress over time. Additionally, it is possible to have two or more types of dementia at the same time. People with Alzheimer’s disease experience a loss of memory and other forms of cognitive decline that become progressively worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may experience symptoms such as disorientation, confusion, aggression, paranoia, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and poor judgment.
Dementia on the other hand is a set of symptoms in which intellectual functions deteriorate, including memory and thinking processes. These changes may be mild or severe, and they can affect people of any age.
Dementia is a progressive disease that causes changes to the brain over time. These changes include:
- Memory problems (forgetting names or events)
- Personality changes (change in personality such as no longer being able to express feelings or show emotions when needed)
Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms affecting cognitive function, such as judgment and perception. It’s not a disease; it’s not specific to one disease; and it doesn’t have any symptoms that can be identified on an MRI or CT scan.
Dementia refers to any condition that impairs your ability to remember things or do things you once enjoyed doing. Dementia can affect your body’s ability to think clearly or make decisions, which may cause you distress because friends and family worry about you not being able to care for yourself anymore
Dementia has and continues to be a serious problem for society. Though it affects 24.3 million people worldwide, that number is expected to double every 20 years and reach 81.1 million by 2040.
Dementia is a brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment and emotional problems in addition to physical symptoms like muscle weakness or paralysis. The cause of dementia varies from person to person but can be caused by many factors including age-related changes in the brain’s structure and function; toxicity (exposure) such as heavy metals such as lead poisoning; genetics; lifestyle factors like smoking tobacco cigarettes which has been shown time after time on studies done by scientists around the world
There are several types of dementia, not just Alzheimer’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are all types of dementias caused by genetic diseases or disorders such as HIV/AIDS can all result in dementia.
Genetic diseases are caused by mutations in the genes that make proteins responsible for normal brain function. The changes cause proteins to become misfolded and form clumps called amyloid plaques (these are also found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease).
When these molecules accumulate in large numbers they may cause inflammation, damage to neurons and other cell structures throughout the body leading to cognitive decline such as memory loss or difficulty speaking properly due to confusion about what you’re saying or forgetting what you’ve said before now but still having trouble remembering things like names or dates etc…
Vascular dementia is another form of dementia that occurs as the result of changes in blood vessels or blockages in brain arteries. There are two types of vascular dementia:
- Ischemic vascular dementia is caused by a blockage in an artery or vein that supplies blood to your brain. This can be caused by a stroke or heart attack, but it can also be related to other factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol levels.
- Hemorrhagic stroke causes damage to small branches of blood vessels called capillaries (which look like tiny rivers). This type of stroke often results in bleeding inside the brain tissue itself rather than just on its surface—a condition called hemorrhagic infarction where there’s no damage visible externally but one that still causes significant damage internally due to lack of oxygenation throughout affected areas within your body including those parts controlled by its control center known as cerebrum region which controls higher reasoning skills such as learning new things quickly without thinking too hard about it first before doing something else instead.”
Both illnesses are memory related and the effects can be quite devastating if not handled carefully. The older generation are more likely to become victims. You never really can tell. But understanding it, the signs and symptoms as well as knowing how to deal with it can go a long way in improving the latter life of a senior citizen/loved one. See our recent article to learn more about various options available to help look after seniors when the illness starts to set in.