Alzheimer's disease affects 5.3 million people in America, according to the Alzheimer's Organization. Deaths caused by the disease rose 46.1 percent between 2000 and 2006, even while deaths from breast cancer, stroke and heart disease decreased. Alzheimer's mainly affects people over age 60 and can be completely debilitating for sufferers.
Symptoms
The first signs of Alzheimer's disease are often memory problems. As the disease progresses, cognitive problems worsen and start to interfere with daily life more and more. Problems can include language difficulties, forgetting recent events, difficulty multitasking, misplacing things, personality changes, poor judgment and getting lost. Over time, individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease may forget important details about themselves and their history, develop delusions, and have difficulty carrying on conversations and performing basic daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.
Biology
In the brain, there are three major changes that signify the presence of Alzheimer's disease, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Amyloid plaques are clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid that appear at various points in the brain. Neurofibrillary tangles occur inside neurons and are an accumulation of a protein called tau. Both tau and beta-amyloid operate in healthy brains as well, but do not normally clump together. The third brain change in Alzheimer's disease is the death of neurons caused by a loss of connections between neurons.
Risk Factors and Causes
No single factor has been identified as a cause of Alzheimer's disease and many researchers believe a combination of factors cause the biological changes seen in the illness. There does seem to be a genetic component to Alzheimer's disease, since people with a family history of the illness are at greater risk of developing it themselves. Women tend to develop Alzheimer's at a higher rate than men. Other potential risk factors include chronic high blood pressure and previous head trauma, according to MedlinePlus.
Treatment
According to the Mayo Clinic, no cure currently exists for Alzheimer's disease, but treatments are available that may help slow the development of the disease in some people. Cholinesterase inhibitors increase neurotransmitter levels in about half of the patients who take them. The medication memantine, sold under the brand name Namenda, mitigates the harmful effect of a compound called glutamate in the brain, protecting neurons from degradation. Some people use alternative medicine or supplements to treat Alzheimer's, but the efficacy of these treatments remains unproven. Alternative remedies used include taking gingko biloba, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin E, and huperzine A.
Prevention
There is no known method of completely preventing Alzheimer's disease, although some lifestyle changes may lower the risk of developing it. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and fish all seem to have some preventative effect. Daily mental exercises may also help, including doing crossword puzzles, doing math exercises, or playing mentally challenging games such as chess.
