Alzheimer 's Disease And Its Effects On The American Population Essay

Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness. This disease was chosen for the topic of this essay under the consideration that in many families the illness can be incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy. It is not rare to encounter families in which each member is afflicted with a form, mild or severe, of Alzheimer’s. The disease is a progressive brain disease which comes in two separate types: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. These will be discussed in full later on in the paper.

Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells affecting memory, changes in thinking, and other mental functions. In addition, it is the most common form of dementia and generally develops slowly and gradually gets worse as brain function declines and cells start to degenerate and die (4). In 1906, Alois Alzheimer, a German physician noticed psychological changes in some individuals so he further observed their brains during an autopsy and noticed a significant difference in brain size along with abnormal deposits in the brain tissue (1). Today Alzheimer’s is considered an epidemic, but is spreading rapidly on a global scale making it a global problem too (2). Unfortunately, Alzheimer's is fatal,

Alzheimer’s Disease was first mentioned by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 after having studied the case of Auguste D. who was experiencing, “...memory loss, unfounded suspicions about her family, and other worsening psychological changes…” (“Milestones in Alzheimer's”). After this patient had died, the doctor performed an autopsy to find that the brain had “dramatic shrinkage and abnormal deposits in and around nerve cells” (“Milestones in Alzheimer's”). This disease is a type of dementia that is defined as a progressive deteriorating mental condition that affects the patient’s day to day life. One with this disease may experience memory loss, slow cognitive processing, language problems, poor coordination, and what can be described as “odd” social

In the early 1900s, Alois Alzheimer looked at abnormal plaques in the brain. This was the first recorded case of the possible disease. In the century that followed, scientists have made many more discoveries about Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Unfortunately, not all is known, and there is a lot of research to go before researchers find possible cures for the illnesses.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewed to the extent it is known today.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 65–70% of all cases (Jellinger, Janetzky, Attems, & Kienzl, 2008). The other dementias are of the Parkinson 's group, the fronto-temporal group and the vascular group. The total worldwide yearly costs for the treatment and care of patients suffering from dementia are estimated to be around 250 billion US dollars. The lifetime risk for AD between the ages of 65 and 100 is 33% for men and 45% for women with an annual increase of 1–2% in the seventh decade to almost 60% in the 10th decade with doubling every 5 years (Jellinger et al., 2008). AD is incurable, and thus represents a major public health problem. AD represents a challenge to humanity due to its relatively recent discovery, progressive nature of the illness, and complex diagnosis.

Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by Doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1905. He was a German neurologist and psychiatrist. He observed Auguste D. who was 51 at the time he met her. Her family was concerned because she was having memory problems, changes in personality and difficulty speaking. Doctor Alzheimer originally diagnosed her with a form of aggressive dementia, but there was symptoms not commonly found in Dementia patients. Like difficulty in speech and aggression. When she died he performed an autopsy which he found that Auguste’s cerebral cortex shrank, and there was fatty tissues in the blood vessels of her brain. He discovered large amounts of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques (proteins in the brain), which are now the biggest indicator of Alzheimer’s. (alzheimers.org) These fibers increase with age, and when you have Alzheimer’s your body produces them faster then what it should. Alzheimer’s was not officially named in medicine until 1907, and was named after Doctor Alzheimer in 1910.

The causes of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown but scientists do know that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging and the majority of people with this disease are sixty-five or older. Although it is most common in the elderly, up to five percent of Alzheimer’s patients are in the mid to late thirties and forties. Scientists also believe that Alzheimer’s disease is a result from someone’s environment, lifestyle, and certain genetic factors that affect the brain in abnormal ways over time. There are no definitive causes of the disease yet but it has a very clear effect of the brain. A person that has Alzheimer’s, their

The call came at 9:05 p.m. on January 20, 2004. Mom had just finished telling the news about the girl's grandfather. He had Alzheimer's Disease and was not doing well at all. The ruling was that he probably would not make it through the night. She knew exactly what the news was the moment her mom said, "No." After the news came, the decision was made they would leave the next day to attend the funeral.

The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that is seen in the elderly. It is the most common form of dementia, which is a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life (Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia). Alzheimer’s is one of the leading causes of death in America. Dementia and Alzheimer’s have been around for centuries, but Alzheimer’s disease wasn’t first described until 1906 by Dr. Aloysius Alzheimer. In the past, there was a stigma for elderly people with the disease and people with dementia and Alzheimer’s were seen as a burden on society. Society has only recently accepted and cared for people with the disorder. There are now treatments and research being done for dementia and Alzheimer’s, but no cure remains and many individuals still suffer from the disease. Future treatments for the disease include taking aim at significant aspects of the disease like fighting beta-amyloid plaques, recruiting the immune system, reducing brain cell inflammation, and studying the heart-head connection (Alzheimer’s Treatments: What’s on the Horizon?). There are other ways to possibly treat the disease in the future as well. Hopefully from looking at the history of the disease, how the disease affects the brain and body, and future treatments, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia will be a thing of the past.

Relevancy Material: The information I will give you will help you notice the signs and symptoms of an Alzheimer’s patient.

Alzheimer 's disease is a cognitively degenerative disease with irreversible side effects. The disease was first discovered in 1901 by the late German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer while he was working with a fifty year old patient by the name of Auguste D. Since the disease 's discovery, scientists, psychiatrist, and many other medical professionals have worked diligently to learn more about the disease 's effects and potential treatments to hinder its rapid progression.

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is 36 million people worldwide as of 2010, making it the most common cause of senile dementia. 1This number is expected to nearly double, to 65.7 million by 2030.1AD is accompanied by pathological features consistent with brain atrophy and neural cell death. 1The inflammatory response of the brain, that is commonly found in AD, is linked to several factors. 1Amyloid-B, inflammatory cytokines, and sphingolipids are some of the known factors associated with AD. 1Uncontrolled inflammation, from ongoing or chronic complement activation is theorized to impact Alzheimer’s disease, among other diseases. 2 Recent GWAS shows strong evidence that complement receptor CR1 is linked to the development of AD, although the mechanistic basis for the CR1 risk remains largely unknown.2

In 1901 Auguste D was admitted to a mental institution because of the effects that the alzheimer's had on mind/ brain, Auguste D was studied for five years by Dr. Alzheimer before her death in 1906 Alzheimer's disease can take over your memory and cause a traumatic amount of memory loss and Can take over other functions in your body. Alzheimer's is caused by dead brain, but after Auguste death Dr. Alzheimer did an autopsy on he found unusual characteristics such as fiber tangles and what is known today as “amyloid plaques”. And he also had found that there was much shrinkage in and around her nerve cells in her brain. Then in 1931 max knoll and ernst ruska invented the electron microscope that allowed them to study brain cells even better that before. And then in in 1968 Cognitive measurement scales are created which allows researchers to measure impairment and estimate the volume of damaged brain tissue. Finally in 1974 the national institute on aging which now supports alzheimer's disease.