Alzheimer’s Disease - EnVivo

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex disease that affects the brain that was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer. An estimated 10% of Americans over the age of 65 and 50% of those over age 85 have Alzheimer’s. Currently, more than four million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and as life-span increases it is projected that 11-16 million Americans will develop Alzheimer’s by 2050. Alzheimer’s is now the third most expensive disease to treat in the U.S., costing society close to $100 billion annually.

The disease is characterized by amyloid plaques (deposits in the brain of a sticky protein called amyloid beta peptide) and neurofibrillary tangles (abnormally twisted forms of the protein tau, in the long branches of neurons). Both of these factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease but the exact cause remains unclear.

Over time, the disease destroys large areas of the brain resulting in a gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning or judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, and decline in the ability to perform routine tasks. People with Alzheimer’s also experience changes in their personalities and behavioral problems, such as agitation, anxiety, delusions (believing in a reality that does not exist), and hallucinations (seeing things that do not exist) leaving its victims with little comprehension or awareness.

From the onset of symptoms, the disease runs its course in 2 to 15 years. Seven years is the average extent, but patients may survive as long as 20 years. Alzheimer’s always ends in death, typically from pneumonia or lack of nutrition.

For more information:
http://www.alzforum.org/home.asp
http://www.alz.org/