Frequently asked questions about Alzheimer’s Disease
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that usually affects thinking and memory in older people. Memory problems, especially remembering recent events, is often one of the first signs of the disease. Memory becomes a little less sharp in many healthy older people, too, however the severity of memory loss over time is much worse in Alzheimer’s disease. The onset of symptoms can be gradual, so it may take some time to see whether the symptoms a person is experiencing are because of Alzheimer’s, another disease, or normal aging.
Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s?
There is no cure right now. Doctors, scientists, and other medical professionals are working hard to discover treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease that may help people in the future. Through research, we have discovered a lot about how the disease works. One research area that is advancing rapidly involves early diagnosis, even before the first symptoms are noticeable. The hope is that, by finding people at the earliest stages, it will be easier to stop the harmful damage to the brain before it gets worse. This approach is similar to cancer screenings for early detection. The longer the disease process goes on, the harder it becomes to treat. Although there is no known cure at this time, some medical interventions help people have a higher quality of life while living with the disease, such as treating illnesses that can co-occur with Alzheimer’s, like anxiety and depression.
Is Alzheimer’s Disease the same as dementia?
The word “dementia” is a broader term for several different diseases that mainly affect older people. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia – around 60-70% of all dementia cases are Alzheimer’s. Other common types of dementia include Parkinson’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia.
Do only older people get Alzheimer’s Disease?
No. Most people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease are over the age of 65, but a much smaller group of people are diagnosed in middle age. The longer a person lives, the higher their risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Only around 3% of 65 to 75-year-olds have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but more than 30% of people older than age 85 are thought to have it.
Why do some people get Alzheimer’s Disease and others don’t?
There is no single cause of Alzheimer’s disease. In most cases, a complex combination of health, lifestyle and environmental factors contribute to a person’s lifelong risk of developing the disease. However, there is no way to know for sure— some people at higher risk will never develop Alzheimer’s while other people with lower risk will. High blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hearing loss, vitamin D deficiency and a history of stroke can increase the risk, along with prolonged periods of high stress and poor sleep. On the other hand, healthy eating, keeping blood pressure in the normal range and exercise are associated with a lower risk. In some cases, a genetic mutation or combination of genes can contribute to developing Alzheimer’s. Above all else, age is the number one risk factor, so the longer a person lives, the more likely they are to develop Alzheimer’s.