Alzheimer Disease

1. Causes

1.1. Memory loss is the hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s disease. People may have difficulty recollecting recent incidents or interactions in the early stages of the disease. The memory gets worse over time, as do other symptoms. Initial, a patient may notice that they have trouble retaining information and thinking clearly. If the symptoms continue to progress, a relative or friend might be more likely to pick up on the problems. Alzheimer’s disease causes these progressive, changing brain symptoms.

2. Risk Factors

2.1. Genetic

2.1.1. Family history

2.2. Head injuries

2.2.1. Down's syndrome

2.2.1.1. Age

2.3. Cardiovascular disease

2.3.1. High cholesterol, high blood pressure

3. Diagnosis

3.1. A specialist health professional diagnoses Alzheimer's disease by considering several factors, including: - Medical history - Mental status evaluation - Physical exam - Neurological exam - Lab tests - Brain scans: A CT, MRI, or PET scan to support an Alzheimer's diagnosis or rule out other causes. - Psychiatric and psychological evaluations: To rule

4. Sings and symptoms

4.1. Many of us experience mild forgetfulness or delays in our memories as we age. Everybody sometimes forgets a word or someone’s name. A patient suffering from Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia, however, will experience these symptoms on an increasing and increasingly extreme scale. For example, we could all lose track of where we left our car keys. The Alzheimer’s patient might leave the keys in a weird place like the refrigerator. Or perhaps they forgot what the keys were for.

4.2. - Changes in personality - Impaired gait or movement - Language difficulties - Low energy - Memory loss - Mood swings - Problems with attention and orientation - Problems with simple mathematical tasks

5. Treatment

5.1. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure, but there are treatments and care that can help people who suffer from it and their caregivers.

5.2. Medications, example: Memantine, Cholinesterase inhibitors, Lecanemab and donanemab

5.3. Lifestyle

5.3.1. Exercise

5.3.1.1. Nutrition

5.4. Immunotherapy drugs

5.4.1. Non-drug strategie

6. Prevention

6.1. - Healthy diet - Exercise - Sleep - Social connections - Mental health - Hearing and vision - Alcohol - Smoking - Vascular risk factors -Cognitive skills - Head injury

7. Characteristics of each stage: Preclinical stage

7.1. Changes in the brain begin years before any signs of the disease. - Early stage: Symptoms are subtle, such as mild forgetfulness. - Middle stage: This is usually the longest stage and there is a pronounced decline in cognitive functions. - Late stage: There is severe cognitive decline