<div class="text-justify">Good evening everyone. Hope we are doing great.

September 21st every year is set aside to mark the world Alzheimer's day and today 21st September 2022 happens to be one of those special days that we create awareness of Alzheimer's disease. So in this post, I talk about Alzheimer's disease, its causes, symptoms, and management.

![jpg_20220921_214227_0000.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/alidickson/AKLrUhXsCaTZKSe2xguiBbckN5A9SUHJA2KE7JGormYx8vPpyB981x27e96qWho.jpg)
Image designed with canva

Alzheimer's disease is a disease that affects the brain and impairs the patient's ability to remember things. This memory loss is not the only symptom of Alzheimer's disease, however, it usually starts with memory loss, with short-term memory being more affected than long-term memory. With time, it progresses to affect other functions of the brain like thoughts and language. At this point, the patients find it difficult to carry on their daily activities, occupations, and social functions. Alzheimer's disease is progressive and irreversible and is the commonest type/cause of dementia.

**What are the causes?**
Even though Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging, it is highly associated with age. So it is more common in the elderly than in those less than 45 years. Genetic factors also play a role in the etiology of this disease and present as either early onset or late onset. The early onset may appear before the age of 60 years, however, it is very rare. The late onset is more common and appears from the age of 60 and above.


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/alidickson/23zbmKtVPizrb97EMVZ4vy24F25uDMZSavzQo4giYjYvnR53DQY7YuezsfUVY38YE2WEK.jpg)

By [ADEAR](http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Resources/HighRes.htm), Public Domain, [Wikimedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4470953)

**How common is Alzheimer's disease?**
Many people have been found to have Alzheimer's disease and the statistics are increasing. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC),

>In 2020, as many as 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease. The number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.

Those numbers are very significant and that's the need for a continuous awareness campaign. 

**Now, let's look at how this disease occurs.** 
Alzheimer's disease is a result of the shrinking of the brain (brain atrophy) with advancing age. This atrophy occurs more in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory. The shrinking also affects the cerebral cortex which performs diverse functions including thought, reasoning, language, decision making, intelligence, and all other high-level functions of the brain. That is why the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease involve memory loss, thoughts, and language problems due to the damage in those areas of the brain that are responsible for these functions.

There is also the presence of senile plaques found in the histology of the affected brain. The degeneration and death of brain cells, abnormalities in neurotransmitters, as well as the failure of the cells of neurons in the brain to mop up unwanted proteins have all been implicated in the cause of Alzheimer's disease.

The outcome of this pathophysiology will result in the symptoms below;

>- Memory loss that disrupts daily life, such as getting lost in a familiar place or repeating questions.
 >- Trouble handling money and paying bills.
 >- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or leisure.
 >- Decreased or poor judgment.
 >- Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
 >- Changes in mood, personality, or behavior.

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be made clinically. Meaning that with the signs and symptoms from the patient's history, we can already know that this is Alzheimer's disease. However, some important investigations to support our diagnosis includes; Imaging studies like Computed Tomography scan (CT scan) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Lumber puncture, Chest x-ray, Full blood count, thyroid function test, Serum electrolyte, urea, creatinine, etc.


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/alidickson/23twABfZbbbJJyYzbnZHtMtMrKg8jX4rd1USQy5FA2GzrucV78CYS8kWXM2CXr2Hsy8tE.png)

By BruceBlaus - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, [Wikimedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72901228)

There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's disease. The drugs given to the patients are to manage the symptoms and improve the quality of life, but not to cure. Drugs used here are commonly anticholinesterases like Rivastigmine. The NMDA receptor antagonists like Memantine are also used. Antidepressants are usually given since depression is a common feature amongst these patients.

There are also no proven prevention modalities for Alzheimer's disease. However, those who maintain good health, enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and fruits and vegetables, and avoid smoking, and excess alcohol are at lesser risk of this disease. 

It is also important to maintain a healthy weight, blood sugar and blood pressure since chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and strokes have been found to be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, we must keep healthy and stay safe at all times.

Thanks so much for reading and happy world Alzheimer's day celebration, 21st September 2022.


For references and further reading;


[Centre for Disease Control](https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm)

[National Today](https://nationaltoday.com/world-alzheimers-day/)

[Alzheimer's Association](https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers)

[National Health Service](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/)

[Medscape](https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1134817-overview)

[Alzheimer Society of Canada](https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/what-alzheimers-disease)</div>