Alzheimer's Disease Essay

1049 Words3 Pages

Alzheimer's Disease: Potential of Caffeine as a Preventative Treatment

Introduction
Alzheimer's disease is a cognitive impairment disease that affects nearly 5.1 million Americans (National Institute on Aging, 2014). The disease presents itself at different times of life. Late onset Alzheimer's disease afflicts people older than age sixty. Early onset Alzheimer's occurs in people younger than sixty; some as young as their thirties. The early onset form affects only 5% of patients and is genetically linked. Late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is seen in the majority of patients. The exact cause of the late onset form is not entirely understood. However, it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors (National Institute on Aging,2014). It is important to note that many studies have linked the one of a few genes apolipoprotein (APOE), especially the APOE ε4 gene, to increased a of developing the disease. If a person has the gene, that is no indication that they will develop Alzheimer's (National Institute of Aging,2014). Regardless of the time in life of onset or the cause(s), all Alzheimer's patients experience similar symptoms. The National Institute on Aging lists some typical symptoms that can be observed ranging from very early symptoms to severe (2014). Very early symptoms include memory problems, poor judgment, and trouble finding the right words. Patients in the mild stage of the disease experience trouble getting lost, trouble handling money, repeating questions, losing things or placing them in odd places, taking longer than normal to complete daily tasks, and mood and personality changes. Moderate stage Alzheimer’s involves increased memory loss, problems recognizing fa...

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...ased risk of dementia and a 62–64% decreased risk of AD when compared with participants who drank low amounts- 0 to 2 cups (Eskelinen, et. al. 2009).
Summary of “Coffee Intake in Midlife and Risk of Dementia and its Neuropathologic Correlates”
A study was performed on Japanese American men in Honolulu Hawaii. They were participants in 1965 Honolulu Heart Program Study. At that time their health was assessed, including coffee consumption. In 1991-1993, 3,494 of the men ranging in age from 71-93 were re-assessed and tested for dementia and AD according the DSM-IIIR. A few hundred participants brains were autopsied later to determine if there was physical evidence of cognitive impairment (i.e. lesions). The data “did not support an association between midlife coffee or caffeine intake and the risk of dementia or cognitive impairment (Gelber, et al. 2011).”

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Alzheimer's Disease Essay