Alzheimers Disease
What is Alzheimers Disease? The most common form of dementing illness, Alzheimers
Disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain, causing
impaired memory, thinking and behavior. The person with AD may experience confusion,
personality and behavior changes, impaired judgment, and difficulty finding words,
finishing thoughts or following directions. It eventually leaves its victims incapable of
caring for themselves.
What happens to the brain in Alzheimers Disease? In AD The nerve cells in the part of
the brain that controls memory, thinking, are damaged, interrupting the passage of
messages between cells. The cells develop distinctive changes that are called neuritic
plaques (clusters of degenerating nerve cell ends) and neurofibrillary tangles (masses of
twisted filaments which accumulate in previously health nerve cells). The cortex
(thinking center) of the brain shrinks (atrophies), The spaces in the center of the brain
become enlarged, also reducing surface area in the brain.
What are the symptoms of Alzheimers Disease? Alzheimers Disease is a dementing illness
which leads to loss of intellectual capacity. Symptoms usually occur in older adults
(although people in their 40s and 5Os may also be affected) and include loss of language
skills such as trouble finding words, problems with abstract thinking, poor or decreased
judgment, disorientation in place and time, changes in mood or behavior and changes in
personality. The overall result is a noticeable decline in personal activities or work
performance.
Who is affected by Alzheimers Disease? Alzheimers Disease knows no social or economic
boundaries and affects men and women almost equally. The disease strikes older persons
more frequently, affecting approximately 10% of Americans over age 65 and 47% of those
over age 85.
Is Alzheimers Disease hereditary? There is a slightly increased risk that children,
brothers, and sisters of patients with Alzheimers Disease will get it, but most cases are
the only ones in a family. Some patients who develop the disease in middle age (called
early onset) have a "familial" type more than one case in the family. It is important to
note that AD can only be definitively diagnosed after death through autopsy of brain
tissue. Thirty percent of autopsies turn up a different diagnosis. Families are
encouraged to ask for an autopsy as a contribution to learning more about the genetics of
AD.
Are there treatments available for Alzheimers Disease? Presently, there is no definite
cure or treatment for Alzheimers Disease. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous
individuals who market so-called "cures." These treatments are often expensive and they
dont cure AD. However, since senility is such a scary problem and because families are
desperate to find help for loved ones, these bogus treatments continue to sell. Most of
them have no scientific proof of effectiveness.
What is the scope of Alzheimers Disease? Alzheimers afflicts approximately 4 million
Americans and its estimated that one in three of us will face this disease in an older
relative. More than 100,000 die annually, making Alzheimers Disease the fourth leading
cause of death among adults. Half of all current nursing home patients are affected,
making AD a costly public health and long term care problem. An estimated $80 billion is
spent annually on the care of AD, including costs diagnosis, treatment, nursing home
care, at-home care and lost wages. Alzheimers also affects the patients caregivers, who
become the second victims. Persons with AD often require 24-hour care and supervision,
most of which is provided in the home by family and friends. In addition to the
tremendous stress of providing care, families also bear most of the financial burdens of
the disease as well.
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