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World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.

Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that gradually gets worse over time. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.

Alzheimer's disease is most common in people over the age of 65, and affects slightly more women than men.

World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

What increases my risk of Alzheimer disease?

Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is not a part of normal aging, but your risk increases greatly after you reach age 65. The likelihood of developing the condition doubles every five years after you reach 65 years of age.
Family history of Alzheimer's disease
If you have certain genes linked to AD, such as APOE epsilon4 allele.
Down's syndrome: This is because the genetic fault that causes Down's syndrome can also cause amyloid plaques to build up in the brain over time, which can lead to Alzheimer's disease in some people.
History of head trauma
Being female: It is more common in women.
Cardiovascular disease: Heart risk factors that can be controlled include:

Smoking

Obesity

Diabetes

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

The brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s have an abundance of plaques and tangles. Plaques are deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in the spaces between nerve cells. Tangles are twisted fibers of another protein called tau that build up inside cells. Scientists do not know exactly what role plaques and tangles play in Alzheimer’s disease. Most experts believe that they somehow play a critical role in blocking communication among nerve cells and disrupting processes the cells need to survive. It’s the destruction and death of nerve cells that causes the memory failure, personality changes, problems in carrying out daily activities and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

People with Alzheimer's disease have reduced levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in their brain. Acetylcholine helps nerve signals to travel across the gaps (synapses) between nerve cells (neurons).

World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

How do I know if it's Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms develop gradually and become more severe over the course of several years. The first sign of Alzheimer's disease is usually minor memory problems. For example, this could be forgetting about recent conversations or events, and forgetting the names of places and objects.As the condition develops, memory problems become more severe and further symptoms can develop, such as:

Unintentional passing of urine (urinary incontinence)
Forgetting details about current events or conversations
Show poor judgement and make poor decisions
Lose interest in hobbies or activities
Change in sleep patterns, often waking up at night
Delusions (believing things that are untrue), Hallucinations
Become confused or disoriented to time and place
Depression, agitation, fidgety
Personality changes and loss of social skills
Become violent, angry and suspicious of those around them
Getting lost on familiar routes
Repeat themselves regularly, such as asking the same question several times
Language difficulties such as finding the right word and understanding conversations
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

What are Drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease?

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and no way to stop the underlying death of brain cells. But drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger important for memory and learning. By keeping levels of acetylcholine high, these drugs support communication among nerve cells. Three cholinesterase inhibitors are commonly used to treat mild to moderate alzheimer’s: Donepezil (Aricept®), Rivastigmine (Exelon®), Galantamine (Razadyne®).
Memantine (Namenda®) works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a different messenger chemical involved in information processing. It slows the progression of symptoms with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Antidepressants: This medicine may be given if you feel depressed or anxious.
Antianxiety medicine: This type of medicine may help you feel less nervous and restless. It may also help you sleep better.
Incontinence medicine: You may need this type of medicine to help with your bladder and bowel control.
Antipsychotics: This medicine may be used to control delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), or violent behaviors.

World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September 2015

What other treatments are available for Alzheimer's?

You can help reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease by stopping smoking if you smoke, eating a healthy, balanced diet, and having regular health checks as you get older. It is also important to keep as active as possible, both mentally and physically, to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.