The Benefits Of Personalized Medicine

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.

Personalized medicine is currently on the running towards becoming one of the leading advancing fields of health care determined by a person’s individual genetic make-up. It enables an understanding of the molecular framework of the human system so as to augment preventive therapeutic strategies. The move from reactive to preventive health care comes about with the implementation of personalized medicine as an alternative to traditional health care practices.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive, irreversible disease that deteriorates parts of the brain, attacking neurons and nerve cells. This results in the loss of important mental functions, especially memory (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America). This disease is detrimental, both to the individual and their friends and family. Alzheimer’s is also a very dangerous disease, as those living with the condition may forget how to drive while operating a motor vehicle, forget where their home is or even forget how to breathe. Not only is Alzheimer’s a progressive and devastating disease, but is also genetic. Research has been pooling out in ways to test individuals for the Alzheimer’s gene – ApoE4 is the genetic variant that triples the risk of developing Alzheimer’s

How many U.S. families are in thousands of dollars of debt due to the outrageous costs of healthcare? People are steering clear of medical attention that they know they need because they want to avoid this debt that they will inevitably get into. There is a solution for these people that need relief from their physical and financial problems. Socialized medicine is a system in which the government owns and regulates all aspects of the healthcare industry, which gives the common people a chance to get the medical attention they need.

Alzheimer’s disease is a prominent brain disease that effects a massive amount of individuals in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases, with no chance of being cured, prevented or decelerating over time (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). AD is the most well-known form of dementia, causing complications in brain function in the areas of memory, thinking, and behavior (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers create new knowledge about the disease, which is then distributed to the public. The goal in this information disbursement is to find new and inventive ways to treat AD, prevent AD from progressing at such a rapid pace, and aid in the quality of life in those diagnosed with AD as well as caregivers and medical professionals providing treatment to individuals’ with AD.

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.

With the growing number of people becoming diagnosed, and experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, we must begin to take precautions and somehow attempt to gain knowledge of how the disease can be better treated, and ultimately prevented.

Personalized medicine can lead to the development of great discoveries that could revolutionize the world. The research of personalized medicine is new and costly but that is not the only setback this new science must face. Personalized medicine has also presented issues of race and gender that cannot be silenced until further research is conducted. It is clear that personalized medicine could provide great benefits for fighting illness, but it can lead to issues of underrepresentation of race and concerns of gender in terms of drug safety and with the little that is known right now the cost outweigh the benefits.

(Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). The severity ranges from just memory loss, to the inability to carry a conversation or respond to the environment. That being the case, Alzheimer’s, or Senile Dementia, is an “irreversible and progressive brain disease” caused by the destruction of neurons, and development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain (ADERF, 2016). Scientists have realized through their research with genetics that genes are crucial to the progression Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, the search for genetic variants will help to determine precision medicine, that takes individuals variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle into consideration. (ADERF, 2016). The probability of finding a treatment for Alzheimer's has boomed since the creation of genetic testing. Thus, the stigma that Senile dementia is an “irreversible and progressive brain disease” may soon to be found

Many believe that Alzheimer’s is a non-lethal disease, however, they couldn’t be more wrong. Alzheimer’s is a disease that leaves no survivors. It is lethal and has absolutely no mercy towards any one. It does not discriminate between race or gender, rich or poor. Anyone can be a target. So much, that it is now the sixth leading cause of death and it continues to rise each year (Ryan). Yet, the scariest thing about Alzheimer’s, is not just the memory loss, but also the fact that it has no cure and is irreversible. All hope, however, is not lost. New research has shown that if caught at a very early stage, the rate of deterioration of the brain due to Alzheimer’s, can be slowed down through treatments and therapy (Robinson). Although it is no cure, it can buy more time with a loved one diagnosed with this mindless killer. By catching Alzheimer’s at an early stage and looking out for the symptoms, one can slow down the deadly effects of Alzheimer’s.

“Alzheimer’s From A New Angle: A radical new approach to treating the fearful disease is showing promise” by Alice Park, an article found in the February 22/29, 2016 issue of TIME magazine, delves into encouraging new research being conducted to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative condition that destroys the brain. Dr. Frank Longo, from the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, School of Medicine, is leading the charge. This disease was discovered over 110 years ago by a German physician named, Alois Alzheimer. For so many years now, researchers have focused solely on treating/stopping Alzheimer’s once its devastation has already begun. In the last seven years, over

There is no vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease, but hopefully there will be one day. Scientists and researchers are conducting studies for possible vaccines. We can only wait; the fact that Alzheimer’s is not an infection makes it very hard to discover a vaccine.

The book The Personalized Medicine Revolution: How Diagnosing and Treating Disease are About to Change Forever is an interesting journey through the evolution of our scientific knowledge and subsequent technologies followed by a final foray into the most current accomplishments in personalized medicine and where it’s going.

Did you know that Alzheimer’s disease kills more people than both prostate and breast cancer put together? This neurodegenerative illness is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, but not only does Alzheimer’s affect the five million Americans living with it. People caring for those with the disease gave up around eighteen billion of their own hours this past year to provide the needed service. What’s even more staggering is that these caregivers put in these hours without pay. Alzheimer’s is a serious concern to scientists, but the disease is rooted in the most complex, confusing part of the human body, the brain. This is a reason why an effective cure for the disease has been unavailable in the past, but new developments

Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.