Outline On Alzheimer's Disease

5. What is the prevalence and prognosis of this condition? Is it an inheritable (genetic) condition/disease? (1 point)

This Disorder can occur at any age and affects approximately eight percent of the adult population.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia affecting more than one third of those over ninety-five years old. Its effects vary per person and become systematically more extreme as time wears on. Alzheimer’s is currently incurable and impossible to slow, destroying neurons and brain tissue, resulting in loss of memory, judgment, awareness, communication, behavior and capacity for emotion. Changes in personality and loss of initiative are also common symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become confused or disoriented about what month or year it is, be unable to describe accurately where they live, or be unable to name a place being visited. Eventually, patients may wander, be unable to engage in conversation, erratic in mood, uncooperative, and lose bladder and bowel control. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves. Death can then follow, perhaps from pneumonia or some other problem that occurs in severely deteriorated states of health. Those who develop the disorder later in life more often die from other illnesses (such as heart disease) rather than as a consequence of Alzheimer's disease

What parts of the body does it affect? How common is it? Are there multiple forms/causes for developing the condition? How long can an individual survive?

Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease dies and degenerate causing the loss of memory and mental functions. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.A. Alzheimer’s Disease is named after Dr. Abis Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a lady who had died of an unusual mental illness that was very unknown. The woman 's’ symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior that people with Alzheimer’s have almost often of times. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in this world and it’s thought to be the most progressive disease of all diseases. Also this disease gets progressively worse over time. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are sixty-five years old or older, however, almost five percent of the people have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Early-Onset Alzheimer 's is known as Alzheimer 's at a younger age which appears at the ages of forties and fifties. In early stage Alzheimer’s, memory lost is very mild. With late Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on conversations and respond to their environment. People with Alzheimer’s often live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others.

     Dementia, memory loss, and cognitive breakdown are some of the major signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The disease damages brain cells, which in turn, impairs the memory and leads to loss of memory and the ability to perform tasks. The slow elimination of cells weakens the brain’s ability to remember things, perform normal

Alzheimer’s is not a quick deterioration in health. “The patient gradually declines over a period of five to ten years” (Whitehouse 1). As the patient loses memory and other cognitive functions the family becomes greatly affected. “Legal and financial issues often become complicated when an individual is no longer competent to manage his or her own affairs.” (Whitehouse 1). Obviously, this neurological illness will affect the brain. “The disease involves shrinkage of the brain together with loss of nerve cells in several areas of the brain thought to be important for intellectual activity” (Whitehouse 1). Sadly, all of these effects will eventually lead to

     Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the lost of thinking, remembering and reasoning so bad it screws up ability to do daily functions and eventually resolves in death. Dr. Alois Alzheimer’s first discovered the disease in 1906. Since then research has developed a deeper understanding of the changes in the brain. Warning sign’s of Alzheimer's are memory loss that affects home and job skills, problem in speaking, poor judgment, and difficulty in learning. The last stage of Alzheimer's disease is when you’re unable to take care of

difficult to work with because each case is different, and the course of this disease is

The patient will take prescribed medications and remain an active member of their community for as long as possible with the aid of medication and physical therapy.

carriers unless they have family history of the disease. Two white Americans with no family

Although the disease often occurs in adolescent or young women, it more commonly appears between 30 and 50 years of age.

are more than 400,000 cases in the United States alone, and more than 2.5 million

syndrome, was thought to have particularly affect men. Now it affects both elderly men and