Causes Of Dementia

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

No one wants to lose their mind. But the reality is that the risk of dementia doubles every five years after the age of sixty-five. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this age-related loss of brain function? Are There Ways to Reduce Dementia Through Lifestyle Changes? European researchers analyzed 1,433 people over the age of 65 to determine what lifestyle factors would reduce the risk of dementia the most. After getting a complete medical history on the participants, they tested their cognitive function at intervals over a seven year period. What did they find? According to this research, the two best ways to reduce the risk of dementia is to eliminate diabetes and depression - both of which are dementia risk factors. If both of these factors were eliminated and more people were encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables, the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 21%. There 's some controversy as to whether depression actually increases the risk of dementia - or whether it 's simply an early sign of the disease. This study suggests that depression probably does increase the risk of the disease - and isn 't just a symptom. It 's not surprising that diabetes is a risk factor since it 's associated with insulin resistance. Some studies show insulin resistance increases the risk of dementia. Another way to reduce dementia risk is to encourage people to be literate and educated. This study showed that the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 18% if

More than 5 million Americans currently have dementia in the United States and this number is projected to rise to between 8 and 13 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Dementia is known to become more prevalent with age, increasing from 5 to 10 percent in people over 65 years of age to almost one half of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Although family members provide the majority of care for people with dementia, increasing needs over time often lead to placement in a long-term care setting. Dementia is the most common reason for entry into long-term care facilities (Zimmerman, 2013) and nearly 90% of persons with dementia will have at least one stay at a nursing home in their lifetime (Grunier, 2007).

Worldwide dementia numbers will grow significantly over the next forty years and create the necessity for improved dementia education. Today it is estimated over 46 million people live with dementia and projected to escalate to 131.5 million by 2050, a new case every 3.2 seconds (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2015). At present 58 percent of people with dementia live in low to middle income countries, this figure is expected to grow to 63 percent by 2030 and to 68 percent by 2050 (WHO, 2015). In table one it displays the chief projection rates will occur in low to middle income countries. However, Langa (2015) identified through education that nine studies over the last ten years have shown a declining risk of dementia incidence in high-income countries. So maybe the estimates in table one in high income country will not be accurate. Additionally, the United Nations predicts by 2050 there will be 83 countries where 20 per cent of their population is over the age of 65 (Rubinstein, Duggan, Landingham,

More than five million are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States and the number is set to almost triple by the year 2050. It is common in the elderly and generally occurs in persons over 65 years of age, but early onset of Alzheimer’s has also been documented (“Alzheimer’s disease facts,” 2016, para. 1). It starts in the medial temporal area of the brain, usually in the hippocampus, and then spreads to other areas of the brain. Blows (2011) explains, “Alois Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist who in 1906 described a dementia with two specific changes found in the brain after death... these changes were the presence of extracellular plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and these became the hallmarks of this disease” (p. 286). Loss of neurons takes place and amyloid plaques form. This is due to build-up of non-functioning proteins and can be observed by imaging techniques (Radin, 2003, p. 41). There are many risk factors that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The greatest risk factor is family history, but other risk factors include diabetes, hypertension obesity, hyperlipidemia, smoking, depression, physical inactivity, low estrogen levels, and head trauma (Huether & McCance, 2014, p. 546). The actual cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown, but there are genes associated with it that make the disease heritable. What is clear is that

Dementia affects about 3-4 million people in some way, either directly or indirectly. It is becoming more and more common as people are living longer. There is no known cause or cure for this disease, that affects adult’s ages 65-85 years old and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

Dementia is a disease that is seen to be affecting many of our elderly population nowadays. Dementia patients show progressive symptoms, which become severe with age. Some of the symptoms include memory loss, difficulty performing intellectual activities and overall lose of cognition. There are many causes of dementia so therefore the prevalence rate of it is increasing yearly. Dementia can be caused due to genetic vulnerability such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), lifestyle choices and from other chronic disorders, which increase your risk of getting dementia. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are the two most prevalent forms of dementia (ref). Dementia is also sometimes related to other genetic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease

The primary audience for this article is those affected by Alzheimer’s Syndrome, their family members that are seeking more detailed information, care takers, neurosurgeons, cardiovascular physicians, nursing professionals, nursing students, college professors and educators. The secondary audience would consist of hospital staff that did not attend presentation. According to the National institute of Health, “Age is the primary risk factor for developing dementia. For that reason the number of people living with dementia could double in the next 40 years with an increase in the number of Americans who are age 65 or older- from 40 million today to more than 88 million in 2050. Regardless of the form of dementia, the personal economic and societal demands can be devastating”

Lindsay et. al (2002), explain that dementia is fast growing in elderly population and it has a significant effect on healthcare services and society due to increasing concern of health policy makers and service provider as life expectancy increase particularly as the baby boomer ages (p.445).

Dementia is a chronic syndrome that involves a progressive deterioration of brain function and leaves a person to suffer from not only a cognitive decline but physical, emotional, and behavioral changes as well. There are over ten different types of dementia and each cause significant changes in the make up of the brain and the brain function. Those changes include deposits of protein that form plaques, twisted strands of protein that form tangles, blood vessel blockages, fluid build up, and Thiamine deficiency. The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for an estimated 60 percent to 80 percent of cases, and

The dementia statistics Within the United States are not promising, there are at least 5 million people currently living with age-related dementias. As the population increases, these numbers are expected to rise. To put this into perspective, it’s

With the baby boom generation growing old, dementia is expected to spike to an all time high. It is a disease that has no cure. Individuals immediately begin to feel helpless. Dementia is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning (What is Dementia pg. 46). The Topic of dementia possesses a multitude of causes, which negatively impact the victim, his or her family, and the society in which the victim lives in; therefore, no treatments or solutions are provided for the victim to lessen that impact on the future of his or her life.

It is estimated that currently 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. [1] 60-70% of dementia cases in the elderly are caused by Alzheimer’s. [2] As the population ages a greater percentage of Americans will be impacted whereas between present time and 2050 it is estimated that 20 percent of the population will be in an age category that puts them at risk. [1] The disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the neurons resulting in memory loss, language skills, thinking and behavioral changes. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this disease are changing due to knowledge that the underlying pathology begins 10-20 years before the symptoms appear. [3] Therefore new methods are

To begin with, all dementias share a variety of similarities. The first uniting element of all dementias is the causes for all. Whether it is a traumatic head injury, cerebrovascular disease (one that affects blood vessels, such as strokes), brain tumors, toxic reactions, nutritional deficiencies, or any other brain altering infections and diseases, all dementias are caused by the death of brain cells and neurodegenerative disease. Neurodegenerative disease is the progressive death of brain cells over periods of time. Uncommon causes that can lead towards dementia are prion diseases, HIV infection, and Down syndrome (MacGill). All in all, there are many causes that lead toward any type of dementia.

It is not known yet what exactly triggers off the weakening of the brain cells. There are many factors which lead the growth of Alzheimer's disease.