Mediora

Overview

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes brain cells to deteriorate and die, leading to continuous decline in cognitive, behavioral, and social skills affecting a person's ability to function independently.
It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases, primarily affecting individuals over 65 years of age.
The disease destroys memory and other important mental functions through the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits (amyloid plaques and tau tangles) in the brain.

Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease: Rare form affecting individuals younger than 65 years, often linked to genetic mutations, representing less than 10% of all cases.
Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease: Most common form occurring after age 65, influenced by combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Preclinical stage with noticeable memory problems but preserved ability to carry out daily activities.
Mild Alzheimer's (Early Stage): Memory loss and cognitive difficulties begin interfering with daily tasks and independent living.
Moderate Alzheimer's (Middle Stage): Longest stage where individuals require greater assistance with daily care and experience significant personality changes.
Severe Alzheimer's (Late Stage): Individuals lose ability to respond to environment, control movement, and require round-the-clock assistance.

Memory Impairment: Difficulty remembering recent conversations, events, or appointments; repeatedly asking same questions; increasingly relying on memory aids or family members.
Cognitive Decline: Challenges with planning, problem-solving, completing familiar tasks, difficulty concentrating, and taking longer to do routine activities.
Language Difficulties: Trouble finding right words, following or joining conversations, stopping mid-sentence unable to continue, calling things by wrong names.
Spatial and Visual Problems: Difficulty judging distance, determining color or contrast, problems with reading, judging spatial relationships, and recognizing faces or common objects.
Impaired Judgment: Poor decision-making abilities, difficulty managing finances, decreased attention to personal hygiene and grooming.
Personality and Mood Changes: Depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, mood swings, distrust in others, increased stubbornness, confusion, suspiciousness, and fearfulness.
Behavioral Changes: Wandering, agitation, restlessness, sleep disturbances, inappropriate behavior, delusions, and hallucinations in advanced stages.

Amyloid Plaques: Abnormal buildup of beta-amyloid protein fragments between nerve cells, disrupting cell-to-cell communication and triggering immune system inflammation.
Neurofibrillary Tangles: Twisted strands of tau protein inside neurons blocking nutrient transport system, causing cell death and brain tissue loss.
Genetic Factors: Family history increases risk; specific gene variants (APOE-e4) significantly elevate likelihood though don't guarantee disease development.
Age-Related Changes: Natural brain aging processes including inflammation, vascular damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress contribute to disease progression.
Cardiovascular Health: Conditions affecting heart and blood vessels (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity) damage blood vessels in brain increasing dementia risk.
Head Trauma: History of severe head injuries or repeated traumatic brain injuries associated with increased Alzheimer's risk decades later.
Lifestyle Factors: Lack of physical exercise, poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, social isolation, and cognitive inactivity may accelerate disease development.

Aspiration Pneumonia: Difficulty swallowing leads to food, liquids, or saliva entering lungs causing serious respiratory infections and leading cause of death.
Malnutrition and Dehydration: Forgetting to eat or drink, difficulty swallowing, and loss of appetite result in severe weight loss and electrolyte imbalances.
Infections: Urinary tract infections, skin infections, and respiratory infections become frequent due to immobility, incontinence, and weakened immune system.
Falls and Fractures: Impaired balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and judgment significantly increase risk of serious falls resulting in head injuries and broken bones.
Incontinence: Progressive loss of bladder and bowel control requiring specialized care and increasing risk of skin breakdown and infections.
Bedsores: Prolonged immobility causes pressure ulcers on skin and underlying tissue, painful and difficult to treat, increasing infection risk.
Depression and Anxiety: Awareness of cognitive decline in early stages causes significant emotional distress, social withdrawal, and reduced quality of life.

Advanced Age: Greatest known risk factor; likelihood doubles every 5 years after age 65, affecting nearly one-third of people aged 85 and older.
Family History and Genetics: Having first-degree relative with Alzheimer's increases risk; rare genetic mutations guarantee disease development in early-onset cases.
Female Gender: Women more likely to develop Alzheimer's partly because they live longer and hormonal changes after menopause may play role.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and obesity damage blood vessels throughout body including brain.
Low Educational Attainment: Less than high school education associated with higher risk, possibly due to reduced cognitive reserve and brain resilience.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Moderate to severe head injuries with loss of consciousness increase dementia risk, especially with repeated injuries.
Sleep Disorders: Chronic sleep deprivation, sleep apnea, and poor sleep quality interfere with brain's ability to clear toxic proteins.
Social Isolation: Limited social engagement and weak social networks throughout life associated with increased cognitive decline and dementia risk.

Cardiovascular Health Management: Control blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels through medication and lifestyle modifications protecting brain blood vessels.
Regular Physical Exercise: Engage in moderate aerobic activity 150 minutes weekly; improves blood flow to brain, promotes new neuron growth, reduces inflammation.
Mediterranean Diet: Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, nuts; reduces oxidative stress and inflammation protecting brain cells.
Cognitive Stimulation: Lifelong learning, reading, puzzles, learning new skills, social activities build cognitive reserve helping brain compensate for damage.
Quality Sleep: Maintain 7-9 hours of restful sleep; allows brain to clear toxic proteins including beta-amyloid associated with Alzheimer's.
Social Engagement: Maintain strong social connections through regular interaction with family, friends, community activities supporting cognitive function.
Avoid Smoking and Limit Alcohol: Smoking increases dementia risk by 30-50%; excessive alcohol damages brain cells and should be limited to moderate consumption.
Head Protection: Wear seatbelts, helmets during sports, fall-proof homes to prevent traumatic brain injuries that increase long-term dementia risk.