HELLO!

My dear fellow steemians, today I would like to put some light on a degenerative disorder of the brain, Alzheimer's Disease, in a simple manner. We all have come across this term at least at one point of our life. It is the most common cause of dementia (memory disorder) that we have frequently seen in movies or social medias if not in our day to day life. It was first described by, and later named after, German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. In developed countries, AD is one of the most financially costly diseases.

One in every 80 people has dementia. Medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke and heart problems, as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity in mid-life, are all known to increase the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's Disease is a major cortical degenerative disease and is characterized by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. There is marked impairment of higher intellectual function, mood and behavior. Alzheimer's Disease usually begins at an early age of 20 years. However, it's symptoms appear 30 years later. So, patients of Alzheimer's Disease are mostly above the age of 50 years.

In 2015, there were approximately 29.8 million people worldwide with this disease. 4% to 5% of cases are early-onset Alzheimer's which begin before the age of 65 years. It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older. In 2015, dementia resulted in about 1.9 million deaths.

What happens in Alzheimer's Disease?

Normal VS Abnormal Cortex

Although the cause of Alzheimer's Disease has been poorly understood, it is said that due to mutations in certain genes (APP,PS1, PS2), there is increased accumulation of a type of amino acid (Aβ). These amino acids are toxic to the neurons and cause progressive synaptic and neural death. Due to this, there is wide range of loss of functions of the neurons that result in dementia. Also, there is marked reduction in the size of the cortex of brain, which you can clearly see in the picture.

Normal VS Abnormal neurons (microscopically)

2 out of 3 patients of Alzheimer's disease are women. In every 66 seconds 1 person in US develops Alzheimer's Disease!

What are the signs of the disease?

Mild:

• The first sign shows up as difficulty in remembering recently learned facts and inability to acquire new information.
• Depressive symptoms, irritability and reduced awareness of subtle memory difficulties.
• Usually, this stage is found to be a transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia.

Moderate:

• Difficulties with language, executive functions, perception, or execution of movements are more prominent than memory problems.
• Language problems are mainly characterized by a shrinking vocabulary and decreased word fluency.
• They may need assistance or supervision with the most cognitively demanding activities.
• Wandering, irritability and labile affect, leading to crying, outbursts of unpremeditated aggression, or resistance to care giving.

Advanced:

• The patient is completely dependent upon caregivers.
• Language is reduced to simple phrases or even single words, eventually leading to complete loss of speech.
• People with Alzheimer's disease will ultimately not be able to perform even the simplest tasks independently.
• However, death may be due to pneumonia, pressure ulcers and other external factors.

How to reduce risk of getting Alzheimer's Disease?

• Regular exercise at least for 2 and half hours each week.
• Engage yourself in social activities like volunteering, taking group classes or hanging out with people.
• Eat regular and healthy diet with plenty of Omega 3 fats. Cut down sugar intake and prevent trans fats.
• Practice memorization and solve riddles and puzzles for brain exercise.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• QUIT SMOKING!

That's all for today.

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Until Next Time!

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