Alzheimer's Disease

Overview

Named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 Alzheimer's Disease is the most common cause of dementia and gets progressively worse over time. While the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older it can start as early as 40 or 50 years old (early onset Alzheimer's Disease). In the United States it is estimated that more than 200,000 people have the early onset form of Alzheimer's Disease. Increasing amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain are the factors involved in the cause and progression of the disease. Difficulty remembering names and recent events is often an early clinical symptom of this disease.

The exact cause of the disease is currently unknown but damage to the brain structure starts a decade or two before sysmtoms start to show. During this preclinical stage people are free of symptoms but this progressive brain disease slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually reaches the point when the individuale is no longer capable to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living.

In the United States alone it is estimated that 1 in 8 people 65 and older has Alzheimers Disease and by the age of 85 it's estimated to be 45% have the disease. It is estimated that 5.5 million Americans are afflicted with the disease and women account for almost two thirds of the cases. This disease is now the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.