ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease



Alzheimer's disease

Outline

Alzheimer's Disease and causative factor

Epidemiological information

Alzheimer's effect on the individual

Modes of transmission

Available treatment methods and effectiveness

Prevention and control

Prognosis for the affected individual

Recommendations for improvement

Alzheimer's Disease and causative factor

Outline:

This ection introduces the Alzheimer's Disease and the effect this disease has on its suffreres and their families and friends.

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive and irreversible brain disease that destroys mental and physical functioning in human beings, and invariably leads to death. It is the fourth leading cause of adult death in the United States. Alzheimer's creates emotional and financial catastrophe for many American families every year. Fortunately, a large amount of progress is being made to combat Alzheimer's disease every year. Although Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process, the risk of developing the disease increases as people grow older. About 3 percent of the United States population over the age of 65 is affected by Alzheimer's disease, and up to 50 percent of those over age 85 may have the disease (Knap 2002). It is a disease that not only affects the person who has it, but also the people who have to live around it. It takes a devastating toll, not only on the patients, but also on those who love and care for them. Patients experience immense fear and frustration as they struggle with once everyday tasks and slowly lose their independence. Family, friends, and especially those who provide daily care suffer immense pain and stress as they witness Alzheimer's disease slowly take their loved one from them.

Epidemiological information

Outline:

This section discuses the statistic of Alzheimer's Disease.

Two main measures are used in epidemiological studies: incidence and prevalence. Incidence is the number of new cases per unit of person-time at risk (usually number of new cases per thousand person-years); while prevalence is the total number of cases of the disease in the population at any given time.

Regarding incidence, cohort longitudinal studies (studies where a disease-free population is followed over the years) provide rates between 10-15 per thousand person-years for all dementias and 5-8 for AD(Ahmadjian 2000), which means that half of new dementia cases each year are AD. Advancing age is a primary risk factor for the disease and incidence rates are not equal for all ages: every five years after the age of 65, the risk of acquiring the disease approximately doubles, increasing from 3 to as much as 69 per thousand person years. There are also sex differences in the incidence rates, women having a higher risk of developing AD particularly in the population older than 85.

Prevalence of AD in populations is dependent upon different factors including incidence and survival. Since the incidence of AD increases with age, it is particularly important to include the mean age of the population of interest. In the United States, Alzheimer prevalence was estimated to be 1.6% in the year 2000 both overall and in the 65-74 age group, with the rate increasing to ...