Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease ( AD ), also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's , is the most common cause of dementia , afflicting 24 million people worldwide.
Alzheimer's is a degenerative and terminal disease for which there is currently no known cure. In its most common form, it occurs in people over 65 years old although a less-prevalent early-onset form also exists.
The disease can begin many years before it is eventually diagnosed. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the most common symptom, often initially thought to be caused by aging or stress by the sufferer. Later symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs.
Although the symptoms are common, each individual experiences the symptoms in unique ways. The duration of the disease is estimated as being between 5 and 20 years. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are generally reported to a physician when memory-loss causes concern, and on suspecting Alzheimer's disease, the physician or healthcare specialists will confirm the diagnosis with a behavioural assessment and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan.
Experts still aren't sure what causes Alzheimer's disease. They do know it is marked by a major loss of nerve cells in the brain, particularly in areas controlling memory and thinking. The disease is also characterized by reduced levels of brain chemicals important for memory. Decreased blood flow in the brain or a series of small strokes may contribute to memory loss as well.
A family history of the disease can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's; other possible causes include serious head injury, cardiovascular disease, and slow-acting viruses. Studies indicate that aluminum (such as from cookware) is an unlikely cause of Alzheimer's. At the moment conventional medicine has no known cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Currently available medications offer relatively small symptomatic benefit for some patients and some may even slow disease progression but in essence do not 'cure' the disease.