Alzheimer's Disease: Can We Prevent It?

Alzheimer's disease is a disturbing disease because it stops a person's ability to do for themselves even simple things like using the bathroom. More horrible then anything about this disease is it takes your memories. Could you imagine not knowing your children, brothers and sisters, Mother, Father or even your own husband? Or maybe your parents are dead but in an Alzheimer's patient's mind there memory is in the time when their parents were alive. So when you tell them they are gone they do not believe you and often times this will set them off into a fit of rage or they may just sit and sob uncontrollably.Alzheimer's is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. Alzheimer's effect's the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes Alzheimer's, and there is no cure.Scientists think that as many as 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's. The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. While younger people also may get Alzheimer's, it is much less common. Though to me and my family it seems very common for a younger person to have it, my Mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 39. About 5 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have Alzheimer's, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. It is important to note, however, that Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging.

Scientists have learned that Alzheimer's disease involves the malfunction or death of nerve cells, but why this happens is still not known. However, they have identified certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's and discovered clues about possible strategies to reduce risk. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and most individuals with the illness are 65 and older. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer's approximately doubles every five years after age 65. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent. Another risk factor is family history.