What Causes Alzheimer's Disease

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

Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness. This disease was chosen for the topic of this essay under the consideration that in many families the illness can be incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy. It is not rare to encounter families in which each member is afflicted with a form, mild or severe, of Alzheimer’s. The disease is a progressive brain disease which comes in two separate types: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. These will be discussed in full later on in the paper.

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that causes memory loss, thinking, and behavioral issues. Nearly 5.4 million American’s are affected by Alzheimer’s. People who are affected begin with early-onset Alzheimer’s. One will experience symptoms such as confusion, mild memory loss, and speaking issues. The inheritance pattern of early-onset Alzheimer’s is autosomal dominant inheritance. This means that if you inherit the abnormal Alzheimer’s gene from a parent, you are likely to get the disease. Even though Alzheimer’s is a somewhat common disorder, the inheritance pattern of late-onset Alzheimer’s is still unknown. Although, scientists believe genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors play a role in a person’s risk for developing the disease.

Even today, doctors use the same technique that Dr. Alzheimer used to observe the plaques and tangles in the brain. (2) Studies show that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases with age. Almost 20 percent of Americans between the years of 75 and 84, and almost half of those that are 85 years and older suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (3). One out of every 10 persons that are 65 years of age and older are said to be victims of Alzheimer’s disease, yet even some early-onset victims might be in their 40s and 50s (4).

Alzheimer Disease, the most common form of dementia (to a group of symptoms affecting the brain), is a neurological disorder affecting an individual’s memory, thinking skills, and ability to conduct simply everyday tasks. Alzheimer Disease is irreversible, and no cure has been established. Dr. Alois Alzheimer-the individual in which the disease is named after-detected Alzheimer in 1906 from a woman with abnormal clumps and tangled neurofibrillary (Castellani 2010). These characteristics of the brain are now directly associated with Alzheimer Disease. There are essentially two forms of the disease. Both experience the same symptoms, but one is early onset and the second is late onset. In early onset Alzheimer Disease, symptoms develop as early as 30 years of age. Late onset AD, the most common form, develops at sixty years of age and older. A family history of the disease does improve the individual’s probability of experiencing symptoms. The progression of this paper will consist of the medical changes caused by Alzheimer, how an individual can obtain it, and lastly prevention methods discovered throughout the years.

Alzheimer’s disease currently represents the second leading cause of death in people older than 65 years residing in the modern world. (1) Census records attest to this assertion, which has prompted medical researchers to further investigate the etiology and course of development of the disease in order to better treat the debilitating condition. This paper investigates how Alzheimer’s entered the medical lexicon and how its definition has shifted over the past century in psychiatric discourses. It is clear that as a neurodegenerative disease, older people are more likely to incur the condition. However, a small number of people develop it at an early age as well. While the cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains somewhat uncertain, experts can still pinpoint contributing factors that better illuminate the possible etiology. Future research is necessary in order to ascertain the particular causes. It is clear that aging is the most significant risk factor. This paper contributes to the large corpus of literature on Alzheimer’s and pinpoints various avenues for future research in order to enhance medical epistemologies. Hopefully, a cure for this debilitating disease will be discovered in order to abate rates of death it causes.

     In Alzheimer’s disease, there are three rare genetic syndromes that cause people to develop the disease before the age of sixty. These syndromes are caused by mutations in single genes call APP, PS1, and PS2. These mutated genes are usually inherited by one’s parents and virtually guarantee the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic testing is currently available for these mutations and could prove to be extremely helpful in taking early action against the disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by gradual cognitive decline that beings with the inability to create recent memories or thoughts which then proceeds to influencing all intellectual functions (Mayeux & Stern, 2012) . Alzheimer’s disease leads to premature death and the dependence of someone for daily life functions. (Mayeux & Stern, 2012) If effects an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States and 24 million people worldwide (Mayeux & Stern, 2012). The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is rising in line with the aging population therefore; Alzheimer’s is most common in older patients around the ages of 60-85 (Mayeux & Stern, 2012).

New research has shown that women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than men. Women do live longer than men, therefore makes them prone to develop the disease. There still is some mystery of, about the way women are more likely to develop this disease. Researchers believe that genetics may be a big play in this mystery. In past research, study had shown that the gene APOE-E4 played a role in a risk factor the disease. But recent research has shown that there is still no correlation to whether or not it has a link to

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slow-progressing neurodegenerative disease that has no cure and most often affects people over the age of sixty-five. Neurodegeneration is characterized by the loss of function in the central nervous system due to degeneration of neurons found mostly in the brain. The most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that AD is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. The cause of Alzheimer’s is still not completely understood, but the current theory is that it appears to be genetic in which many genes are involved. AD is also the most common form of dementia and accounts for 60-80% of cases (Alzheimer’s Association 2016). Dementia is not a disease itself, but instead is characterized by a group of symptoms that is caused by brain disease or injury in which memory, personality, and reasoning skills are affected.

This investigation studies the question: To what extent is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary? To come to a conclusion, seven pieces of research were analyzed regarding their implications on the genetic and environmental factors impacting the etiology of Alzheimer’s. Specifically, four genetic factors were evaluated: the influence of Beta Amyloid Plaques, alcohol dehydrogenase in relation to mitochondrial function, specific Loci, and a twin study to determine relative heritability. The results of these studies indicate a high degree of heritability and genetic factors in Alzheimer’s disease with recognition, to a certain extent, of the relative influence of environmental factors.

A common concern that is thought of when talking about the cause of Alzheimer's Disease is that of it being genetic or not. Although this question is still being researched, and is not yet fully understood, it is believed that early-onset AD is more likely to run in families than AD that strikes later in life. A belief that genetics has a roll in early-onset AD is supported by genetic markers that have been found on chromosome 21 and 14, but remember early-onset AD affects a small subgroup of people. A small amount of evidence points to the relationship of chromosome 19 to that of Alzheimer's Disease that affects the elderly. Although there is this evidence, there is only a slim chance that a close relative of an afflicted individual will develop Alzheimer's. If one has a family member with AD their chance of getting the disease is only slightly higher than that of the general public (National Institute of Mental Health, 1994).

Jerome Burne (2012) wrote this article targeting the causes of why women get Alzheimer’s. Burne (2012) brings a variety of ideas to the table. Many studies were included about topics like genetics and medical history. The topics have several subgroups within the paper.

Alzheimer’s Disease is 56% of the cause of dementia, which is characterized as a decline in memory language, problem solving, and other cognitive skills that affect a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. (Petersen 2002) AD was first identified over 100 years ago, but it actually took about 70 years for it to be recognized as the most common form of dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association 2016) Although much has been researched and discovered about AD to help diagnose and treat the disease, much is yet to be discovered about the precise biological changes the causes Alzheimer’s and why it progresses more quickly in some than others. Scientists and doctors around the world have a common goal of discovering ways to stop of prevent this genetically

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.