Alzheimer's disease is irreversible. It slowly eats the cognitive functioning of the people affected by it. The mind slowly deteriorates and even the carrying out of simple tasks may be severely affected. The risks of developing this brain disease run high by the age of 60 and older. It is normally characterized by loss of reason, memory, language facility and judgment. Contrary to common belief, Alzheimer's disease is not an element of normal aging. It is a disease that depreciates the brain. Without this, human brain often functions well even up to an individual's 100th years. Four million Americans are known to have Alzheimer's disease and this number is expected to rise to 14 million by the year 2050. Given that the current trend of American population is constant and no advanced treatment is discovered in opposition from this disease. The average number of people with Alzheimer's disease doubles every year from 1995 to 2005. This increase is determined to be the cause of the two playing factors: 1) people tend to be prone to risks of getting the Alzheimer's disease as they age and 2) the significant growth of the number of older people, especially those who age 85 years and older. There are two types of Alzheimer's disease. The FAD or the Familial Alzheimer's Disease that are typically inherited and usually inflicts people aged 30 to 60. The second type is the late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the more common form that affects people age 65 and more. The cause of Alzheimer's disease is yet to be revealed. However, research points out that it is the result of complex events that occur in the brain for certain duration of time. Yet the present-day concept of how this disease develops is roughly divided into the following: Genetic Factors and the Beta-amyloid Mutations on the APP or the amyloid precursor protein is squarely defined as one of the causes of the Alzheimer's disease, which then highlights the role of the beta-amyloid to the disease. Beta-amyloid is the protein fragment- the key component of the AD plaques. Research points out the mutations in any of the three genes namely the Chromosome 1, 14 and 21 can significantly add to the presence of the beta-amyloid in the brain. This condition applies for the early onset AD. For the late-onset AD however, the Chromosome 19 is known to be playing as a risk factor. They identified that a certain protein named ApoE or apolipoprotein E binds quickly and tightly to the beta-amyloid. Tau The tau is a protein normally found in the nerve cells in the brain. A person with AD has abnormal tangled filaments in the neurons. Cardiovascular Risk Factors There are potential links to the causes of cardiovascular diseases and AD according to recent studies. One of which is an amino acid termed as the homocysteine I both a risk factor to AD and heart disease. Oxidative Damage from Free Radicals The damage in the neurons caused by the build up of too much free radicals is called the oxidative damage. This process may contribute to the degeneration of the brain by upsetting the flows of substances from the cells. Inflammation The inflammation factor is still debatable. Researchers argue if inflammation is good or bad for the development of AD. Some thinks that inflammation is instrumental to the death of some neurons, some proposes that inflammation is a component in the brain's healing process. Brain Infarction Evidences that people who have experienced stroke in certain brain regions are likely to develop AD. These findings are the current known causes for developing the disease. Yet many of which are yet to be researched and studied accordingly. |
