Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to die. It slowly destroys memory, thinking, behavior, and social skills, so much so that the person does not remember basic tasks like showering, dressing, etc. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Dementia. (1)
The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include - memory loss, forgetting events, personal history, recent conversations, and appointments, inability to learn new things, confusion, getting lost and misplacing things, mood and behavioral changes, etc.
Older adults aged 65 years and above are at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. The risk also increases in individuals with comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, excessive alcohol consumption, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, head trauma or its history, etc. (2) The risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in women, about 65% of Alzheimer's patients are women. In the USA, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in the African American and Hispanic populations when compared to the White population. (3). The risk of Alzheimer's increases if a parent/sibling has or had the disease in the past.
About 60% of Alzheimer's cases in patients over 65 years of age remain undiagnosed, this increases the complications of the disease leading to severity. (3) The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is based on the patient/ close family members' ability to notice the symptoms in the patient and report to the health care provider at the earliest. In addition, memory and thinking skills tests, physical and neurological examinations, blood tests, and imaging tests are used to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment for Alzheimer's disease includes symptomatic treatment and newer medicines that prevent the decline of brain activity, Several new drugs are in trials for Alzheimer's disease. In addition to this making adjustments for easy living of Alzheimer's patients is crucial. This includes auto payment of bills, having a primary caregiver to support the patient in everyday tasks like dressing, showering, timely administration of medications, nutrition, etc., installing sturdy handrails for support, alarms for doors, and medical ID/tracking devices for the patient.
The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease has exponentially increased in recent times. The number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease is expected to increase from 6.9 million to 13.8 million by 2060. The world population of patients with Alzheimer's is expected to double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. This increase in cases is due to the aging population of the World and the increase in comorbid diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, depression, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. Alzheimer's is caused by abnormal build-up of protein in and around brain cells. This may be due to a combination of age-related changes in the brain along with genetic, health, and lifestyle factors. (4)
Early detection and management of Alzheimer's disease is crucial. In addition to this prevention of Alzheimer's disease in older adults aged 60 and above is a high priority. This is done by proper management of comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic disorders. Reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding smoking in all of its forms (e-cigarettes, hookah, vapes, etc.) is important. In addition to this maintaining an active lifestyle with time spent outdoors doing physical activity, taking a healthy and balanced diet, and doing brain exercises has numerous benefits. Doing brain exercises improves the cognitive ability and neuroplasticity of the brain, and this prevents the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Brain exercises include - jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, crossword puzzles, card games, coloring, using the non-dominant hand for daily tasks, learning new skills and languages, exercise and meditation, reading books, and travelling to new places.
Though there may not be a definitive cure for Alzheimer's disease there are a lot of lifestyle changes, diet, and exercises that improve the neuroplasticity of the brain to improve the quality and length of life.
References -
1) Alzheimer's Disease - Mayo Clinic
2) Alzheimer's and Comorbidities: Implications for Patient Care - Medscape
3) The Alzheimer’s Disease Crisis – By the Numbers
4) What Causes Alzheimer's Disease? National Institute on Aging, NIH
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-causes-and-risk-factors/what-causes-alzheimers-disease Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board