Aging and Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive form of dementia that seriously affects a person’s capacity to perform daily activities. This degenerative disease of the brain effectively begins in the cerebral cortex. It is marked by the slow and progressive decline in a person’s mental capacities.

Researchers do not yet fully recognize what is the actual cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Several risk factors are identified and they affect each person differently. Degenerating brain tissue is one of the probable causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Other risk factors are the tangling of nerve fibers in the brain, the build up of certain protein deposits in the brain, and the lack of neurochemical factors in the nerve.

The aging problem is among the most important known factors for Alzheimer’s. AD affects both sexes, generally those who are over the age of 60. However, the disease has been reported to occur in persons as early as age 40. The illness is more common in male than in female. Researches show that around nine out of ten thousand people are affected with AD. The number of patients doubles every 5 years.

Studies show that genetics play a role in many AD cases. There is very little chance of inheriting the disease. Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s, a rare form that occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, is inherited. But there is no clear inheritance pattern seen in the late-onset, the more common form that develops later in life.

Mutated genes that mingle with each other and with non-genetic factors cause AD, and the only recognized gene is one form of a protein called apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Everyone has this protein that helps carry cholesterol in the blood. Approximately 15 percent of people have ApoE that increases the risk of AD. Many other genes cause AD, but are not identified.

Many researchers are now studying diet and environment to learn what role they play in the development of AD.

Tags: Cancer, Aging

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