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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of type of dementia — a condition that causes ongoing problems with thinking, remembering, and behavior. These changes in the brain happen slowly, usually over four or more years in people older than 65. While everyone forgets things or behaves differently on occasion, people with Alzheimer’s disease experience these changes more often, and the changes are serious enough to impact daily life.
Those who may have some trouble remembering but can still do normal daily activities on their own have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Sometimes a person’s MCI gets worse and becomes Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, it gets better or doesn’t change at all.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are progressively worsening changes in a person’s memory, judgment, and reasoning that are severe enough to interfere with their independence and daily activities. For example, people with dementia may:
Early in the disease, a person won’t feel “sick” but may experience behavior and personality changes such as: irritability, anxiety, or depression. As the disease progresses, more severe behavior and personality symptoms may include:
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We do not know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease. What we do know is that those with the disease develop a type of plaque (beta amyloid) deposit in their brains as well as disorganized masses of protein fibers (neurofibrillary tangles). These cause a loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. As nerve cells die, the brain begins to shrink, and the person increasing loses control of the simplest of daily functions.
Scientists have identified several risk factors for getting Alzheimer’s disease, including:
Other possible risks include having high blood pressure or diabetes, smoking, and lifestyle factors (being physically inactive, not being socially connected or mentally engaged).
There is currently no definitive blood test or imaging study (like an MRI or CT scan) that tells your doctor that you have Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, your doctor and other specialists will gather information from several sources before diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease including:
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease; however, some medicines can help with certain symptoms and slow down the process for a period of time. These medicines work by affecting certain chemicals involved in carrying messages among the brain's nerve cells.
Non-drug strategies, which should always be tried before medicines for Alzheimer’s symptoms, can help promote physical and emotional comfort. These non-drug strategies can help:
Those with Alzheimer's disease live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others. However, they can live from four to twenty years after diagnosis based on their age and other medical conditions they might have.
Although Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S., most people do not die from the disease itself. They tend to die as a result of a pneumonia, bladder infection, or complications of a fall.
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