Alzheimer's Disease

[logcabinmama]

Here is something none of us want, but many people have and will have.

 

Here is just one site that talks about Alzheimer's Disease. There is a lot more at this site than what I have put in here.

 

http://www.alz.org/AboutAD/WhatIsAD.asp

 

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

 

Introduction

 

Alzheimer’s (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

 

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, new treatments are on the horizon as a result of accelerating insight into the biology of the disease. Research has also shown that effective care and support can improve quality of life for individuals and their caregivers over the course of the disease from diagnosis to the end of life.

 

Dementia

 

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that all gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental function. Vascular dementia, another common form, results from reduced blood flow to the brain’s nerve cells. In some cases, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia can occur together in a condition called "mixed dementia." Other causes of dementia include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Parkinson’s disease. For more information on related disorders, see Related Disorders.

 

Progression of Alzheimer’s disease

 

Alzheimer’s disease advances at widely different rates. The duration of the illness may often vary from 3 to 20 years. The areas of the brain that control memory and thinking skills are affected first, but as the disease progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s will need complete care. If the individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself will cause death. For more information, please see Stages.

 

Related resources

 

Basic Facts and Statistics

 

Alzheimer's Association awards 92 grants during 2005 grant cycle

 

 

Click on Causes on the left hand side of the page for the following:

 

Causes

 

Introduction

 

Alzheimer’s disease has no known single cause, but in the last 15 years scientists have learned a great deal about factors that may play a role.

 

Biology of Alzheimer’s disease

 

Scientists believe that whatever triggers Alzheimer’s disease begins to damage the brain years before symptoms appear. When symptoms emerge, nerve cells that process, store and retrieve information have already begun to degenerate and die. Scientists regard two abnormal microscopic structures called "plaques" and "tangles" as Alzheimer hallmarks. Amyloid plaques (AM-uh-loyd plaks) are clumps of protein that accumulate outside the brain’s nerve cells. Tangles are twisted strands of another protein that form inside cells. Scientists do not yet know whether plaques or tangles cause Alzheimer’s or are a byproduct of some other process. Clinical trials of experimental drugs targeting amyloid are under way and should help clarify the role plaques play.

 

Risk factors

 

Scientists have learned that Alzheimer’s disease involves the malfunction or death of nerve cells, but why this happens is still not known. However, they have identified certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and discovered clues about possible strategies to reduce risk.

 

Age

 

The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and most individuals with the illness are 65 and older. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s approximately doubles every five years after age 65. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent.

 

Family history and genetics

 

Another risk factor is family history. Research has shown that those who have a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than those who do not. The more individuals in a family who have the illness, the greater the risk.

 

Scientists have so far identified one gene that increases risk of Alzheimer’s but does not guarantee an individual will develop the disorder. Research has also revealed certain rare genes that virtually guarantee an individual will develop Alzheimer’s. The genes that directly cause the disease have been found in only a few hundred extended families worldwide and are thought to account for a tiny percentage of cases. Experts believe the vast majority of cases are caused by a complex combination of genetic and nongenetic influences.

 

Paths to prevention

 

Genes and environment

 

Age, family history and genetics are all risk factors we can’t change. Scientists worldwide are looking for other risk factors that may provide opportunities for treatment or prevention. Some of our best information about the relative importance of risk factors we can and can’t control comes from studies of identical twins, who are the same age and have the same genes but have different life experiences.

 

Several twin studies have shown that when one twin develops Alzheimer’s, the other twin is at increased risk but does not always develop the disease. Other studies suggest that even in cases where both twins develop Alzheimer’s, the age where symptoms appear can differ significantly. These results suggest that even when there is a strong genetic influence, other factors can play a major role.

 

Head injury

 

Research is beginning to reveal clues about some potentially controllable risk factors. There appears to be a strong link between serious head injury and future risk of Alzheimer’s. It’s important to protect your head by buckling up your seat belt, wearing your helmet and fall-proofing your home.

 

Overall brain health

 

One promising line of research suggests that strategies for overall healthy aging may help keep the brain healthy and may even offer some protection against Alzheimer’s. These measures include eating a healthy diet, staying socially active, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol, and exercising both body and mind.

 

Heart/head connection

 

Some of the strongest evidence links brain health to heart health. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia appears to be increased by many conditions that damage the heart and blood vessels, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure or cholesterol. You should work with your doctor to monitor your heart health and treat any problems that arise.

 

Autopsy studies provide additional evidence for the heart-head connection. These studies suggest that plaques and tangles are more likely to cause Alzheimer symptoms if strokes or damage to the brain’s blood vessels are also present.

 

 

[m0naj0]

My Mother died at age 94, and had Alzheimer's since approx. age 73 or so???. My Father died 1981, and we think that precipated it for her. She had a benign, slow progressing type. She lived by herself till 1988 (with family looking on her everyday); then we moved her in with us (just before we had our 5th child). She lived with us for 10 years, then we had to move her to a nursing home. It was very tough having her live with us, but our family would do it over again in a heartbeat. Our children learned that just because you grow old and can't do like you use to, it doesn't mean you are less respected or loved. Laughter kept us going; and because Mother had a slow progressing type,I was able to gradually adapt to each new stage. The hardest part for me was joining her in whatever reality plane she was on. I interpeted that as "lying" to her, and we NEVER lied to our parents. However, with much support from our Alzheimer's family support group, I learned that "therapeutic fibbing" was kinder and more loving for Mother. It definitely helped Mother to have me go along with her reality. I appologize for rambling. Even though Mother died a couple years back, I find it still hard. I have already appologized to our children for whatever I put them through in the future, as odds are I'll end up with Alzheimer's too. They told me, that it was ok, they would take care of me (and their dear Father). I'm trying to stay healthy, exercise my brain as much as possible, and then not dwell on what I can't control. I am trying to put together our Family Tree and go and label all the old family pictures I've inherited (most with no names,so that when the family gets together, we play "Guess who this is? lol).

[gardnmom]

This is just my opinion. I believe that Alzheimer's is caused by not giving our brains the food it needs, such as the oils that feed it, olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil, the natural oils that are squeezed rather than cooked out of veg or meat. Our brain is comprised mostly of fats, if we give it the wrong kind of fat or oil in cannot thrive it will become deseased. As I said this is just my opinion.

[logcabinmama]

MomM, I'm glad you were able to help your parents like that, not everyone would do it.

 

That is something I've never thought about Lois. I wonder if it could be.