Alzheimer’s is defined as “A degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood…” (Webster). The Alzheimer’s Association states that more than 5 million American are currently living with Alzheimer’s. It is also the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. Alzheimer’s disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer by another doctor who worked with Alois. Alois discovered the illness when one of his patients displayed changes in her personality including memory loss and other things. When examining her brain at an autopsy, Dr. Alois observed damage …show more content…
They do know that it involves the brain cells to die. According to the Alzheimer’s Association people’s risk of developing the disease include genetics, old age, and carrying the APOE-e4 gene. Having the APOE-e4 gene does not fully guarantee that someone will have Alzheimer’s. It is just a gene that influences the chances. There are others genes that can cause an individual to develop Alzheimer’s, but APOE-e4 is the more dominant gene. The other genes are APOE-e2 and APOE-e3. Alzheimer’s Association states that everyone inherits one of the three APOE genes from each …show more content…
Researchers believe that Alzheimer’s is more prominent in women than it is in men. Everyday Health says that in the year of 2011 the Alzheimer’s Association reported that “3.4 million of the 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s are female” (Everyday Health). Gender is another big risk factor in developing Alzheimer’s. When develop Alzheimer’s, they can be more aggressive with their talking and physical abilities. Women are more emotional. They laugh or cry during spontaneously and can have delusions. Researchers also believe that more women have Alzheimer’s than men because the longevity of women. This also coincides with the fact that old age is a high risk
Alzheimer’s disease has been around since 1901; a German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer was the first man to identify and follow a case that is now known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is involved in synaptic deterioration and neuronal cell death, and causes degeneration in the hippocampus and amyloid deposition in blood vessels, ultimately cell death is the cause of the disease. There are various ways that someone can acquire the Alzheimer’s, a few include; family history, obesity, and Down syndrome. Some symptoms of the disease are, memory loss, difficulty completing familiar daily tasks, confusion with
Alzheimer’s disease is a common problem in today’s society and within the older population this disease makes up the largest form of dementia. Although it is a problem in mainly older people, this disease can still occur in the younger population also. People in their 30s-50s can be diagnosed with this disease, even though it is not as common as people in their 60s-90s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is close to five million and is expected to double within the next 30 years. With our modern medicine and advancements one would think a cure would be available, however, getting to the cause of the disease is a major factor. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is one that is very debatable and questionable and most likely is a result of multiple factors rather than one. The main issue with finding the cause is because this disease affects the brain and can
The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning
Alzheimer’s disease in many ways is not yet defined. It is a progressive disease afflicting between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65. Additionally, it is not restricted to the elderly, reportedly having
Alzheimer's disease, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease with many different stages that slows one’s lifestyle and has no real cure. Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. The disease first appears around the age of sixty. Studies have concluded that as many as 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. A person with Alzheimer’s loses connections between neurons in the brain (1).
Even though Alzheimer 's is being researched, it was not a commonly known disease and many aspects of it remain intangible. In 1901 Auguste D. family brought her to Dr. Alzheimer’s after noticing Auguste problem with memory, impaired comprehension, and unpredictable behavior. Dr. Alzheimer treated Auguste till her death in 1906. He performed an autopsy on her brain and discovered dramatic shrinkage of the cerebral cortex, atrophied brain cells, fatty deposits in blood vessels, neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques. Plaques and tangles in the brain are two of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connections between neurons in the brain. (https://www.nia.nih.gov/.../alzheimers_disease_fact_sheet_
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of Dementia which is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Based on 2018 Alzheimer’s Association statistics, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s over the age of 65 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Many scientists state the death rate for heart disease has declined by 11% while death by Alzheimer’s has raised by 123% (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). It is considered to be the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is an abnormal aging
Jerome Burne (2012) wrote this article targeting the causes of why women get Alzheimer’s. Burne (2012) brings a variety of ideas to the table. Many studies were included about topics like genetics and medical history. The topics have several subgroups within the paper.
Alzheimer¡¦s disease is a slow, progressive, and degenerative disease of the brain. This disease is marked by a gradual loss of memory and other cognitive functions. "Alzheimer's Disease is also known as the most common cause of dementia--a general term referring to the loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave properly" (Medina,1999). It primarily affects adults in their 60's or older and eventually destroys a person's ability to perform simple, routine tasks or even to care for themselves. Statistics show that "as many as 10 percent of all people 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's," and that approximately "50 percent of all people 85 or older also have the
Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who discovered Alzheimer’s disease, was a gifted German scientist who was born in the mid-nineteenth century. Though he will be forever linked to the disease that bears
Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.
Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe
Imagine your father, mother, or your sister waking up in the morning, and they do not know or remember their loved ones, name , age , what they love or hate ,or even who you are . It seems like their identity taken away from them by a disease called Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disorder that affects the brain's nerve cells. It is named after Dr.Alois Alzheimer, a German nationality, who first one discovered it in 1906. In 2010, it estimated that about 21 and 25 million people around the world have AD. Furthermore, it usually commence in people that are in 65 years old or over. Although a lot of people have it, there are also many people do not know what is the symptoms , causes and if there is a treatment
One day your wife or husband may be carrying a gene that has the Alzheimer disease on it and not even know it.