Alzheimers Disease

Introduction:
Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes
memory loss and cognitive decline. A neurodegenerative type of dementia, the disease
starts mild and gets progressively worse. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type
of dementia. The term "dementia" describes a loss of mental ability associated with
gradual death of brain cells

BODY

CAUSES:
1. Age
Age is the single most significant factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The likelihood
of developing the condition doubles every five years after you reach 65 years of age. However, it
is not just older people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Around 1 in 20 people
with the condition are under 65. This is called early-onset Alzheimer's disease and it can affect
people from around 40 years of age.
2.Family history
The genes you inherit from your parents can contribute to your risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease, although the actual increase in risk is small if you have a close family member with the
condition. However, in a few families, Alzheimer's disease is caused by the inheritance of a
single gene, and the risks of the condition being passed on are much higher. If several of your
family members have developed dementia over the generations, it may be appropriate to seek
genetic counselling for information and advice about your chances of developing Alzheimer's
disease when you are older.

3.Down's syndrome
People with Down's syndrome are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. 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. Whiplash and
head injuries People who have had a severe head injury or severe whiplash (a neck injury
caused by a sudden movement of the head) have been found to be at higher risk of developing
Alzheimer's disease.
4.Cardiovascular disease
Research shows that several lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular
disease can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. These include: smoking obesity diabetes
high blood pressure high cholesterol

Research studies have indicated that that the following factors may play an important role in the
development of the condition: Genetic factors, such as the presence of, or changes to, certain
genes. Environmental factors, such as long term exposure to some environmental solvents eg:
pesticides, glues and paints. The role of autoimmune factors and certain viruses are also being
studied. There is some evidence of a slightly higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in females
than males, but this may be a reflection of their longer life expectancy.

Symptoms

Risk Factors
Some things are more commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease - not seen so often in
people without the disorder.
These factors may therefore have some direct connection. Some are preventable or modifiable
factors (for example, reducing the risk of diabetes or heart disease may in turn cut the risk of
dementia). If researchers gain more understanding of the risk factors, or scientifically prove any
"cause" relationships for Alzheimer's, this could help to find ways to prevent it or develop
treatments.
Risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease include:
Unavoidable risk factors

1.Age - the disorder is more likely in older people, and a greater proportion of over-85-year-olds
have it than of over-65.
2. Family history (inheritance of genes) - having Alzheimer's in the family is associated with
higher risk. This is the second biggest risk factor after age. Having a certain gene (the
apolipoprotein E or APOE gene) puts a person, depending on their specific genetics, at three to
eight times more risk than a person without the gene. Numerous other genes have been found to
be associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Potentially avoidable or modifiable factors

Factors that increase blood vessel (vascular) risk - including diabetes, high cholesterol and high
blood pressure. (These also increase the risk of stroke, which itself can lead to another type of
dementia.)
Prior head injury. (While a traumatic brain injury does not necessarily lead to Alzheimer's, some
research links have been drawn, with increasing risk tied to the severity of trauma history.)
Sleep disorders (the breathing problem sleep apnea, for example).
In The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers say their findings suggest sleeping in the lateral, or
side position - as compared with sleeping on one's back or stomach - appears to help the brain
remove waste products more effectively and may thus reduce the chance of developing
neurodegenerative diseases. Increasingly, research is showing that sleep is important for brain
health. Studies suggest that the brain is better at removing waste products when asleep than
awake. And researchers are also discovering that poor sleep is linked to an increased risk of
dementia. So, if the brain removes waste better during sleep, then does body posture during
sleep make any difference? This was the question the team, led by Helene Benveniste, a
professor of anesthesiology at Stony Brook University, NY, set out to investigate.
The "abbreviated mental test score" (AMTS): What is your age? What is the time, to the nearest
hour? Repeat an address at the end of the test that I will give you now (e.g. "42 West Street")
What is the year? What is the name of the hospital or town we are in? Can you recognize two
people (e.g. the doctor, nurse, home help, etc.)? What is your date of birth? In what year did
World War 1 begin? (Other widely known dates in the past can be used.) Name the
president/prime minister/monarch. Count backwards from 20 down to 1.

Remedy for Alzheimers disease

New Alzheimers disease research from China indicates that melatonin supplements can prevent
the development and slow the onset of dementia. Melatonin protects neurons from protein
toxicity and prevents protein formations such as fibrils in the brain. Melatonin is a hormone found
in plants, animals and microbes. It decreases with age within patients with Alzheimers.
Alzheimers researchers in the U.K. claim that sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat,
barley and rye, can trigger a number of neurological conditions, including dementia. (As you
have noticed, protein is a common theme in this battle for the brain.) Writing in the Journal of
Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, Dr. Marios Hadjivassilou stated, Gluten sensitivity can
be primarily, and at times exclusively, a neurological disease.

Diagnosis
There is a no single test to diagnose Alzheimers disease. Diagnosis involves a full assessment
of medical and psychiatric history to rule out other possible causes. Therefore a variety of tests
are required to obtain a conclusive diagnosis, which may include:
A neurological and physical examination
Blood and urine tests
Brain scans
Mental status assessment to determine the level of mental deterioration
Caregiver interview to determine the level of dependency
Scans to check brain structure and function may be recommended. The different types of
scans used may include CT scanning (computerised tomography) and MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging).

Drug therapy
There are no disease-modifying drugs available for Alzheimer's disease but some options may
reduce its symptoms and help improve quality of life. There are four drugs in a class called
cholinesterase inhibitor approved for symptomatic relief in the US: Donepezil (brand name
Aricept) Alantamine (Reminyl) Rivastigmine (Exelon) Tacrine (Cognex) A different kind of drug,
memantine (Namenda), an NMDA receptor antagonist, may also be used, alone or in
combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor. Other therapy As with other types of dementia and
neurodegenerative disease, a major part of therapy for patients with Alzheimer's comes from the
support given by healthcare workers to provide dementia quality-of-life care, which becomes
more important as needs increase with declining independence.
Lower your risk from getting Alzheimer's by:
1.Diet - Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins C, B, D, E improve mental
ability.
2.Exercise - People who are fit and exercise regularly during middle age are less likely to
develop dementia later on.
2. Keep your mind active - Writing, reading and engaging in brain-stimulating activities help
preserve memory in old age.

3. Get plenty of sleep - the amount of sleep people get may later influence memory function
and Alzheimer's risk.
4. Quit smoking - Heavy smoking raises Alzheimer's risk by 157% and vascular dementia by
172%, a study carried out by experts at Kaiser Permanente and published in Archives of
Internal Medicine (October 2010) found. The authors emphasized that the "heavy
smoking" relates to when it occurs in midlife.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, we can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's or dementia by:
Not smoking Maintaining a healthy body weight
Eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables
Keeping your mind active
Doing regular physical exercise
Get ting plenty of good quality sleep
Maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels
Controlling our blood pressure