Why Don 't More People Know About This Deadly 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 the 6th leading cause of death in America. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Alzheimer’s accounts for 70-80% of dementia cases. By the age of 65, 1 in 9 people are diagnosed and by the age of 85, 1 in 3 people will have the disease. According to the Alzheimer Association, 5 million people in American have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s starts to form 20 years prior to being diagnosed. Learning about Alzheimer’s can help families understand how Alzheimer’s is more than just memory loss, it is an incurable mental disease.

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 the most common type of dementia in elderly people which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases (Krishnan, D. S.)”. World Health Organization indicated that Alzheimer’s disease is the “6th leading cause of death in the

In the United States there are approximately 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Every sixty-nine seconds a person is diagnosed. This is an ongoing issue, and unless something is done, sixteen million people will be affected by 2050 (Latest).

A major devastating and debilitating disease, Alzheimer 's is a public health issue that affects not only the United States but also countries all around the world. In 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Researchers and medical personnel expect this number to triple by the year 2050. The disease is costing America an exorbitant amount of money and has become a burden on families, caregivers, medical personnel, the healthcare system, and the nation’s economy. If attention is not focused on this major problem, “nursing homes will be overloaded, caregivers will be burned out, healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and federal and state budgets will be overtaxed” (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).

Alzheimer's, the word strikes fear in some and an off-handed glance in others. The fact still remains that Alzheimer’s is an extremely shattering disease that removes the mind fraction by fraction over a period of time, this could even take decades. It begins as small memory lapses, slowly progressing to memory breaches but then progressively eroding your life to the point where around-the-clock care is the only option. With severe Alzheimer's, as we almost hear daily that patients have wandered off and gotten lost. In my own life, my grandfather was not even able to recognize his family members. Alzheimer's was a little known disease before 1960, but today it threatens to completely derail the health system in the United States.

In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, noticed some changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms were comprised of memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After her death, Dr. Alzheimer examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive decline in cognitive function. It affects the brain by damaging brain cells resulting in a decreased in cognitive function, physical mobility, swallowing and fine motor skills. This disease approximately 5.1 million Americans aged sixty-five or older (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015) of which approximately 700,000 will likely die this year (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015) of related symptoms such as aspiration pneumonia due to decreased swallowing ability. The progression of this disease is consistent and cannot be cured or slowed (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is one of the most expensive chronic disease in the United States estimating a cost of 226 billion dollars per year (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015). This debilitating disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015).

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 is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of Dementia which is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Based on 2018 Alzheimer’s Association statistics, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s over the age of 65 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Many scientists state the death rate for heart disease has declined by 11% while death by Alzheimer’s has raised by 123% (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). It is considered to be the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is an abnormal aging

The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are still for the most part unknown. Scientists can’t quite pinpoint the exact causes of Alzheimer’s. But for the last twenty years the cause getting the most attention is that it is caused by an excess amount of insoluble fragments of beta-amyloid, then that leads to the loss of connection between brain cells, then eventually the death of said brain cells. (American Scientist, 44)

According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s data from 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures reported, it shows statistical resources from the United States of America data researched related to Alzheimer’s Disease. As readers will see in the chart below, they will see an increase in causes of death from Alzheimer. The number one cause of death, which is heart disease drops by fourteen percent, while Alzheimer’s grows by eighty-nine percent. It sounds to me like my hypothesis may in fact turn out to be true. In the chart below, readers will see all the top leading causes of death, which are strokes, breast cancer, HIV, and Alzheimer’s. What amazes me the most is that all of them, except Alzheimer’s, are decreasing. All the other diseases

This means that roughly five million Americans are directly affected, not to mention, the family members of the person diagnosed who have to care for their loved one. I know from personal experience, that this disease takes a toll not only on the person diagnosed but on the family. The family has to sit and watch this disease take the life out of their loved one with no way to help. The effect this has had on my family is why I took it upon myself to do more research and find more information. Alzheimer’s Association states that deaths due to Alzheimer’s Disease increased sixty-eight percent from the year 2000 to the year 2010. (Alz Association) That statistic baffles me because I cannot help but wonder why this horrible disease is becoming drastically more common with every passing second. The number of people diagnosed each year is not just increasing in America but worldwide. The United States is actually not the leading country, but is close behind Europe, where, Alzheimer Disease is most commonly found. This disease is less common in Africa and India, but they still have a high percentage of people diagnosed each year. Alzheimer’s disease is known to primarily be found in people over the age of 65, so researchers believe that the cases of the disease diagnosed are increasing due to population aging. “Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease” states that worldwide population aging has become a “phenomenon” especially when dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the “...the projected number of older people (65+) in the world is expected to increase from 420 million in 2000 to nearly one billion by 2030…” (citation) Researchers believe that since the number of people over the age of sixty-five is increasing drastically, that the number of diagnoses a year will also increase

The research into Alzheimer's Disease has come a long way since 1906 when it is was discovered by Alois Alzheimer. He detected microscopic brain tissue changes called senile and neuritic plaques in deceased patients. These are chemical deposits consisting of protein molecules called Amyloid Precursor Protein(APP) that are fundamental components of a normal brain. However in the brain of an Alzheimer patient, an enzyme cuts the APP apart and leaves fragments in the brain tissue. These combined with degenerating nerve cells cause the plaques or lesions. These lesions are found in many sections of the brain including the hippocampus which regulates emotion and memory, the basal forebrain, and especially the basal nucleus of Meynert and the cortex, where the memory function is located.(2) Another sign of a diseased brain are neurofibrillary tangles, which are malformations within nerve cells.