Social, Ethical, And Economic Problems

INTRODUCTION Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).

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.

The beginning and symptoms of Alzheimer's are usually very slow and gradual. Alzheimer’s hardly ever occurs before the age of 65. It occurs (according to the AHAF) in the following seven stages: In stage 1 There are no impairment- Unimpaired individuals experience no memory problems and none are evident to a health care professional during a medical interview. Stage 2 Is a very mild decline- Individuals at this stage feel as if they have memory lapses, especially in forgetting familiar words or names or the location of keys, eyeglasses, or other everyday objects. But these problems are not evident during a

Alzheimer’s disease Ashley Linker South Piedmont Community College Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).

What is Alzheimer 's? As defined in our textbook(Psychology, pg.264) Alzheimer’s disease is “A progressive disease that destroys the brain’s neurons, gradually impairing memory, thinking, language, and other cognitive functions, resulting in the complete inability to care for oneself; the most common cause of dementia( progressive deterioration and impairment of memory, reasoning, and other cognitive functions as a result of disease, injury, or substance abuse.). AC accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.(alz.org) Throughout my sources I have seen that the common age for AC to set in is between 60-75. However, up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset

INTRODUCTION: Although Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most widely known cause of dementia in the elderly population, there are many other explanations and clinical diagnoses that

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. AD typically involves the development of a progressive neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by gradual memory impairment, loss of acquired skills and emotional disturbances (Lee, Y. J., Han, S. B., Nam, S. Y., Oh, K. W., & Hong, J. T.). Every 67 seconds an individual in the United States develops AD. AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There are 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with AD (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). AD is one of the few degenerative diseases that cannot be prevented, stopped, or cured (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). Post-mortem examination of the brain of AD patients usually

Older age is shown to be a major risk for the development of alzheimer's it is shown that 15 percent of people with Alzheimer’s are ages 65-74, while 44 percent from ages 75-84.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 85. (Beattie, 2002) Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory. (Beattie, 2002)

Although research has not shown any definitive causes of AD, there are significant risk factors. The most highly prominent known risk factor for AD is in fact age. Age plays a crucial role in determining the severity of ones AD and is distinguished by two types: early onset (Familial Alzheimer’s disease or FAD) and late onset (Sporadic AD). FAD rarely appears and follows an obvious inheritance pattern. Statistically less than ten percent are classified as FAD. Early onset usually makes itself known between the ages of thirty to sixty years of age. This may also present

Another clue may be the effects the aging process has on the brain as it is harming the neurons in the brain causing the disease (NIA, 2012). Regardless of the cause, AD is a life altering disease in every aspect of the victim’s life.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a cognitive neurodegerative disorder and one of the major forms of dementia; it represents 60-80% of the dementia patients (Barker et at., 2002). It is estimated by the end of 2015, 53 million people of America would be affected and this would almost double by 2025 and triple by 2050, hence making research momentous for the cure (Hebert et al., 2013).

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative brain process that develops slowly over time. It is also known as senile dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is most widely thought to be caused by an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) that leads to nerve cell death. This disease is thought to be inherited, though it does not mean that because either parent has it that the child will automatically have it. There is also a correlation that persons with limited formal education – less than eight years – are at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles every 5.5 years from age 65 to 85. The onset of Alzheimer’s disease can occur as early as 45 years

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for up to 60% of all cases (Burns et al., 2006). AD is an age-related degenerative brain disorder which develops over a period of years, but is not a normal part of aging (WHO 2015). AD can affect individuals in different ways, but for most people symptoms begin by experiencing difficulty in remembering new information,

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.