The Effect Of Blood Pressure On Alzheimer's Disease

Many people aren’t aware of vascular dementia, and some of those who are aware of it misunderstand the disease. It’s very important to be educated on how the disease could affect you or someone you care about, and how you maybe able to deal with it.

There are many diseases affect people as they become older. Senior citizen diseases can attract many organs such as the brain or immune system. Brain diseases usually impact the normal life of the patients and cause many difficulties to accomplish what they want. One example of brain diseases is vascular dementia, which is a worldwide illness that affects many people. According to Young Dementia UK “Around 20% of young people with dementia have vascular dementia.” [1]. It occurs when the blood supply cannot reach to the brain vessels. As a result, brain cells may die because of a lack of the oxygen in the blood vessels. According to Alzheimer's Society “Vascular dementia can be caused by two events that can occur in blood vessels.

Alzheimer’s disease is a common problem in today’s society and within the older population this disease makes up the largest form of dementia. Although it is a problem in mainly older people, this disease can still occur in the younger population also. People in their 30s-50s can be diagnosed with this disease, even though it is not as common as people in their 60s-90s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is close to five million and is expected to double within the next 30 years. With our modern medicine and advancements one would think a cure would be available, however, getting to the cause of the disease is a major factor. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is one that is very debatable and questionable and most likely is a result of multiple factors rather than one. The main issue with finding the cause is because this disease affects the brain and can

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

Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewed to the extent it is known today.

Sometimes Alzheimer’s disease and vascular disease can occur together. People who have dementing illness may also have other illness and can make them more vulnerable to other health problems.

1.Understand what dementia is 1.1 Explain what is meant by the term 'dementia' A syndrome due to disease of the brain, usually of a chronic progressive nature in which there are multiple disturbances of higher cognitive function. These include impairment of memory, thinking and orientation, learning ability, language and judgement. 1.2 Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia The key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia are the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital, cerebrum lobe and the hippocampus. Temporal lobe- responsible for vision,memory, language, hearing and learning Frontal lobe- responsible for decision making, problem solving, control behaviour and

The diagnosis for Alzheimer’s is far from simple. Alzheimer’s begins when a patient reaches the final step of Dementia. There are many disorders that can impact the cause of Alzheimer’s. Neurological disorders include strokes, blood clots, and brain tumors that can be related to dementia. Psychiatric disorders also affect the way Alzheimer’s develops. Elderly people with forms of depression may show even earlier signs of Alzheimer’s such as impaired thinking. Lastly, Trauma can be a factor in Alzheimer patients. Head injuries can cause blood clots in and around the brain (Medicine).

For most people the onset of Alzheimers disease is gradual and the progression slow and regular. Symptoms will gradually become more severe over time due to increased damage within brain cells. Vascular Dementia The most common form of Vascular dementia is multi-infarct dementia which follows a series of strokes, or infarcts, when a loss of blood flow damages specific areas of the brain. The stroke may be ‘silent’, being so small as to pass unnoticed. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, this disrupts the normal workings of the brain and over time, will lead to death of brain cells. This can be caused by weakening, splitting, hardening or clotting within blood vessels, which in turn, can cause mini strokes within the brain. However, not everyone who has a stroke will go on to develop dementia.

There is more evidence that suggests the condition of your heart has an effect on the condition of your brain, so people who suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and diabetes are at higher risk of developing dementia. It is suggested that to help reduce the risk of developing dementia it may help to try and stay healthy by eating a well-balanced

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

Once vascular cognitive impairment progresses to vascular dementia the disease can only be slowed down, not stopped. At this stage the dementia symptoms will usually be much more obvious and may be made worse by depression. The exact symptoms will depend on which areas of the brain have been affected. The most common causes of vascular dementia is narrowing and blockage of the small blood vessels deep inside the brain. The medical name for this is subcortical vascular dementia or small vessel disease. Most cases of small vessels disease result from inheriting certain genes from your parents, so it is often seen running in families. Persistent high blood pressure is thought to play a role and many worsen the disease. Because of high influence of high blood pressure, vascular dementia may be partly preventable. Managing high blood pressure, losing excess weight and stopping smoking

Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe

With the global population suffering from an unprecedented distortion of the traditional age distribution, discussion and scientific inquiry surrounding the nature and impacts of dementia among the aging and the elderly is becoming increasingly prevalent within the public eye. One such story, conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center and reported in a BBC News online report, examines the prevalence of dementia in relation to preceding low blood pressure (Mundasad, 2016). The article, as reflected in its concluding professional recommendations, aims to indicate low blood pressure complications as a potential factor in developing dementia, thus informing consumer healthcare decisions and contributing to an expanding body of medical knowledge.

The updated guidelines cover the full continuum of the disease as it gradually progresses over many years. They describe the earliest preclinical stages of the disease, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia due to Alzheimer’s pathology. The guidelines now adopt the use of imaging and biomarkers in blood and spinal fluid that may help determine if changes in the brain and those in body fluids are due to Alzheimer’s disease. Biomarkers are increasingly engaged in the research setting to detect onset of the disease and then track progression. It is not used routinely in clinical diagnosis without further testing and validation.