Alzheimer’s Disease: Attack on the Brain, Threat of the Heart
Alzheimer’s Disease is a medical mystery that threatens millions of Americans. With more than 3 million cases per year in the United States alone, it seems to be an ominous cumulonimbus cloud, just waiting to swallow those who are yet to have it and tugging at the heartstrings of the families that endured it. It is unfortunate enough to have this cruel disease silently pluck the very personality that makes people human. But sadly, even with our advancing medical facilities and technology, there is so much yet to be discovered. There is no cure to help those that have it, nor a test to confirm that you do. The mystery of this illness is boundless.
Described as a type of dementia that causes complications with daily functions of the brain, such as memory and conduct, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease gradually worsen with time and consequently hinder daily life. Although it is more frequent in elderly people, this disease should not be misunderstood as one that comes with old age. In fact, there is such a thing as early-onset Alzheimer’s. This term is used when a patient displays symptoms of the disease, but are under the age of 65. Currently, doctors are not sure as to why cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s appear, but after keeping an eye out for a pattern, they found their answer. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “Researchers estimate that between 40 and 65 percent of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have the APOE-e4 gene. APOE-e4 is one of three common forms of the APOE gene; the others are APOE-e2 and APOE-e3. We all inherit a copy of some form of APOE from each parent.” In other words, heredity could be a reason as to why Alzheimer’s can run in the family. In addition, if your mother has the disease, then you are at a greater risk than if your father had the disease. People who have Alzheimer’s disease due to deterministic genes (if you have the gene then you are 100% guaranteed to have that disease), start getting symptoms when they are in their late 30s to early 50s.
Alzheimer’s disease follows through three stages: Mild Alzheimer’s disease, Moderate Alzheimer’s disease, and Severe Alzheimer’s disease. An average person lives from four to eight years after their diagnosis, but there are special cases where the patients live for 20 or more years. This disease does not appear suddenly — changes in the patient’s brain occur for several years before any symptoms show up. This period is called pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease. As with any health issue, the symptoms of the disease vary with the patient. There is a very high chance that people with this particular disease have some symptoms that may show they are in stage one, while others indicate they are in stage three. Symptoms overlap, but the chart below shows the substantial changes that a patient suffers through. Either way, it is important to go to a medical professional that can help. Mild Alzheimer’s is easily mistaken as an “old age thing” and can be neglected for a long time. However, with this time, the illness can get worse, even if there is no current cure. On a brighter note, there are treatments. These drugs and practices can help slow down the disease and its impacts on the patient’s brain. It can help increase the quality of life of the patient and aid their caretakers.
Clinical trials are a huge part of taking a step closer to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. These experiments are conducted in people to determine if a certain medication is helpful or not. There are two different treatment trials for Alzheimer’s patients: 1) Aimed at reducing symptoms and 2) Aimed at stopping the disease. These trials are slowly, and hopefully surely, going to make progress that will save millions of lives. At this time, some medication has been produced to be able to slow down the spread of Alzheimer’s disease throughout the patient’s brain. With more knowledge about how Alzheimer’s impacts the brain and a wave of motivated scientists, soon researchers and doctors will be able to find a solution for this heartrending disease.
References
Alzheimer’s disease — Symptoms and causes. (2016, December 31). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350447
Home. (2016). Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. https://www.alz.org/
What is Alzheimer’s Disease? (2018). https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
