Alzheimer’s disease is an ailment of the brain that touches almost everyone in some way. Most of us either have a friend or family member who suffers from this common and devastating disease.
Once considered rare, Alzheimer’s is now known to be the leading cause of dementia in the aging population and is one of several disorders that cause loss of brain cells and function.
As many as 10% of people over the age of 65 have dementia and that number increases to as many as 35% of people over the age of 85. This is a serious problem for an aging population with major implications for how to provide adequate care for such a huge number of people.
The most common and widely understood symptom of Alzheimer’s is a gradual loss of memory. If a loved one begins to regularly misplace things or forget information, Alzheimer’s is usually one of the first worries to surface among family members.
Memory loss is indeed a hallmark, but there are other important symptoms in this disease. Problems with reasoning and judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills and decline in the ability to perform routine tasks are some other common manifestations of Alzheimer’s.
People with Alzheimer’s also experience changes in their personalities as well as behavioural problems such as agitation or anxiety. Psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations can also affect those suffering with this disease.
All of these symptoms work together to make this a particularly upsetting disorder to experience or to witness in a loved one. Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be extremely distressful and difficult.. It is also unpredictable in its rate of progression and can take anywhere from three to 20 years to reach its most severe state.
It is not known exactly what causes Alzheimer’s, but there seem to be both genetic and environmental factors. Family history is a known risk factor and studies show that multiple genes seem to be involved in Alzheimer’s.
Two types of Alzheimer’s have been identified in genetic research, familial and sporadic. Specific genes have been isolated for familial Alzheimer’s and if a person inherits one of these genes, it is highly likely they will develop the disease and will likely develop it before the age of 65.
Sporadic Alzheimer’s has no known pattern of inheritance, but also seems to have a genetic component to it and several genes that may be involved have been isolated.
In both types of the disease, something goes wrong with the way the brain processes proteins. The result is that the brain becomes littered with toxic pieces of protein. Some occur as neurofibrillary tangles and some as amyloid plaque.
Researchers are still working to fully understand the exact causes of these plaques and tangles and feel that results will lead to a much better understanding of the disease.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are some drug treatments that may improve or stabilize symptoms as well as care strategies and activities that may minimize or prevent behavioural problems.
There are also some protective measures that may help to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. Some research suggests that vitamin supplements (particularly E and C) can help protect the brain. Keeping your mind sharp and active with intellectually challenging activities is also thought to have protective effects.
If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms you feel might represent the onset of Alzheimer’s, it is important to visit your family doctor. While you won’t be able to stop the disease, it is possible to improve quality of life.
Dr. Latimer, president of Okanagan Clinical Trials and local psychiatrist, can be reached at (250) 862-8141 or by email at
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All previous columns can be found on the investigators page of his website at www.okanaganclinicaltrials.com.
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