Americans may have Alzheimer's. Unless the illness can be successfully treated or prevented, many people with it will rise significantly if current population trends remain consistent (Khalsa et al., 2017). Alzheimer's affects the human brain in dangerous ways rendering one unable to recall short term activities, followed by long term activities, and eventual death of the brain cells. Research concerning genetic links to Alzheimer's has been conducted over time, and numerous drugs to mitigate the disease have been discovered. There have been some setbacks; research continues to be performed with the hope that complete treatment to the disease can be found.
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 signs of Alzheimer’s can be beneficial to both the patient and his family. Finally, once the patient has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s, a plan for treatment as well as providing the family and caregivers with a support system can help ease those involved through a very challenging, heartbreaking time.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects cognitive function in the elderly population. It is an irreversible, progressive disease involving decline in memory and other intellectual abilities (Spremo-Potparevic, Živkovic, Plecas-Solarovic & Bajic, 2011). According to the National Institute of Health, the majority of people who have Alzheimer’s are age 65 and older (NIH, 2012). Around two-thirds of Americans who have Alzheimer’s are women. The reason for this may be that women have a longer lifespan than men (NIH, 2012).
Memory plays a significant role in the everyday lives of people of all ages. It allows them to recall information and remember skills that were learned in the past. Memory also organizes past information to help people make current and future decisions. However, imagine forgetting the names of close family members or not having the ability to find your keys every time you want to leave the house. These are some of the struggles that people with Alzheimer’s disease face daily. Alzheimer’s disease was first identified by German neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, and was discovered to have an overpowering effect on explicit memory loss (Gruetzner, 1988). There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease – early onset and late onset. Early onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed before the age of 65 whereas late onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed after the age of 65. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, short-term memory is often lost. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, problems with long-term memory begin to develop, in addition to short-term memory impairments. Although a lot is known about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the cause has not been conclusively identified. However, as research continues, new theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease are being proposed. This has led to a controversy over whether Alzheimer’s disease is caused by genetics or environmental influences (Gruetzner, 1988).
The sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease afflicts approximately 5.2 million persons age 65 and over (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Rapid growth of the older population as the Baby Boomer generation ages will cause unprecedented increases in the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of Wisconsin residents with Alzheimer’s age 65 and older will increase by 30% to a projected total of 127,000 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012).
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
Alzheimer’s disease was first postulated by the Bavarian psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer in 1906, however very little was known about the illness (Selkoe). Today, it is well documented that Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of the mental disorder known as dementia. Furthermore, dementia affects an estimated 25 million people in the world (Dalvi). The National Institute of Aging, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines Alzheimer’s disease as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.” Alzheimer’s disease, like most diseases, has levels of severity and get worse of the course of time. In early or “mild” stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the person might start exhibiting issues that could include “wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking...
Alzheimer’s is a disease that many people have heard of, but few really know much about. Imagine not being able to remember your loved ones and friends or even how to do simple tasks like dressing yourself and brushing your hair. Now imagine having to dress your mother, who rarely remembers you anymore. This is the reality of life for millions of older people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and the families that care for them. Alzheimer’s causes cognitive function to decrease gradually overtime. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia - affecting around 5 million Americans (alz.org). It is the most fatal disease affecting older people and needs to be taken seriously.
Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that becomes more prevalent with age. Discovered by German psychologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, it is associated with a memory loss, speech impediment, and dementia. In Canada alone, 500,000 people suffer from this terrible disease and the number of cases is predicted to double by 2031[7]. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and every 68 seconds, someone in the United States of America develops Alzheimer’s [8]. Alzheimer’s disease is also the sixth leading cause of death in North America. Furthermore, it is the only leading cause of death that is still increasing in prevalence. Not only fatal, Alzheimer’s is also severely crippling for all the friends and family that are affected by the patient. The memory loss and dementia that is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease can cause the patient to forget the identity of their loved ones. For the people that have known the patient for many years, this can be very devastating. The long and terrible journey from an able-bodied and functioning member of society to a barely self-sufficient person is not a pleasant one. Undoubtedly, Alzheimer’s disease needs to be cured not only for those suffering from the affliction, but for their loved ones who have to endure the fateful journey as well.
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, scientists have also tried to increase the time for which the disease can fully take over the nerve cell connections, however that to cannot be achieved present-day, sometimes if the disease is caught early on it can be slowed down, but it is very rare. They are however developing treatments that may help with the symptoms. Out of about 7 billion people in the world, 300 million are American and the Alzheimer's Association states that, “More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease today” (Stone, “Genetics and Alzheimer's”).
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death in America and there are currently more than five million people living with the disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). What may be most troubling about these numbers is the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has no current cure. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurocognitive disorder and a common form of dementia that will affects a person’s memory, way of thinking and their behavior (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). AD typically develops slowly and the more time a person has the disease the worse the symptoms will become. AD in its later stages becomes so severe that people with the disease cannot even do simple daily tasks. Although there is no cure there are still ways to prevent, delay, and possibly treat the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is rising at a very high rate. “The number of new cases per year is estimated at 360,000 equating to 980 new cases per day or 40 new cases every hour” (Cummings and Cole 1) This evidence shows that an increasing number of people will discover the effects of a cognitive impairment that will most likely be due to Alzheimer’s disease. As people age, their risk of being diagnosed with this disease increases ...
In recent years, research has established that there is a growing prevalence of dementia among people aged 65 years and above. A study by Prince, Prina and Guerchet (2013), established that the global prevalence of dementia has been increasing at a rate of 7%, especially among the adults who were aged over 60 years old. Research has also shown that a great number of the minority communities especially those of immigrants are having a high incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, high incidence has also been seen in Caucasian people. In this same study, Native Americans showed to have lower rates of the Alzheimer disease compared to the whites (Anderson & Egge, 2014).
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.
According to Nevid (2015), Alzheimer’s is “an irreversible brain disease with a gradual onset that leads to a slow but progressive deterioration of mental functioning involving profound memory loss and impaired judgement and reasoning ability” (p. 362). A significant number of American’s suffer from this demoralizing disease and the number is expected to “more than double to 13.8 million people by the year 2050” (Nevid, p. 363). This disease rips apart the lives of not only the patient but also family, friends, and often caregivers. If you have never had to witness first-hand how brutal Alzheimer’s is, count your blessings. I’ve watched two men that I respected and loved succumb to this disease and I hope to never have that experience again.
Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It affects many people of different age groups, usually older people though. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and can lead to long-term care if symptoms are bad enough. People suffering from Alzheimer’s are directly affected in their memories and thought processes, due to the damage in their brain.