Alzheimer’s Disease
Question: What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Answer: Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain from which
there is no recovery. Slowly and inexorably, the disease attacks nerve cells in
all parts of the cortex of the brain, as well as some surrounding structures,
thereby impairing a person's abilities to govern emotions, recognize errors and
patterns, coordinate movement, and remember. At the last, an afflicted person
loses all memory and mental functioning.
Question: How can Alzheimer’s Disease be prevented?
Answer: There have been no proven methods for preventing Alzheimer's disease
since the cause of it is still unknown.
Question: Can a person who has Alzheimer’s disease
get well?
Answer: Unfortunately for the more than 15 million
people worldwide who have Alzheimer's disease, the answer at the moment is, No.
There currently is no treatment that can substantially reverse the progressive
loss of memory and cognitive function that come with this disease. But there
are therapies that may temporarily slow or halt the progress of Alzheimer's
disease and minimize some of the more disturbing psychological and/or
behavioral problems it can bring. And ongoing research holds out the
possibility of new therapies that may prevent, better treat, and ultimately
reverse the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Currently available prescription
medicines to treat Alzheimer's disease: Donepezil (brand name Aricept) is the
most widely used. It seems to work by
increasing the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. These
drugs are usually used in people with mild-to-moderate disease. Unfortunately,
these medications produce only small (but measurable) improvements in cognitive
function. Several studies of an extract of Ginkgo Biloba, a
subtropical tree, have suggested that this substance may also modestly improve
cognitive function in those with Alzheimer's disease.
The prescription drug selegiline
(sold under the brand names Eldepryl, Atapryl, and Carbex) and nonprescription
alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) have been shown to delay the onset of the later,
more severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin E is generally safe, but
selegiline has many potentially dangerous drug interactions. Both drugs seem to
delay the progress of the disease by only 20-30 weeks, at best.
A variety of medications and
non-drug therapies are available to treat the depression, delusions, and
disruptive behavior that sometimes accompany Alzheimer's disease. And, although
early trials of estrogen as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease have been
disappointing, researchers are studying several promising prospects for
treating and preventing the disease. These include a vaccine that may prevent
the changes in the brain that cause Alzheimer's disease. But, until these
prospects become safe options, people with Alzheimer's disease should seek
available therapies from clinicians experienced in the diagnosis and treatment
of this disease.
Question: My father and grandfather both had
Alzheimer’s. What are my chances of
developing the disease and what can I do to decrease my children’s odds of
getting it?
Answer: Alzheimer's disease is a disorder in
which certain parts of the nerves break down or degenerate. This is the most common cause of dementia in
the elderly. To date, there is no test available to diagnose Alzheimer's
disease. The diagnosis is made after excluding other causes of dementia. There
are, however, classic findings recognized on autopsy. After death, the brain of
someone affected would show deposits of amyloid (starch-like) protein, loss of
neurons, and neural fibers and tangles extending in every direction.
Family studies show that
genetics plays a role. Women are two to three times more likely than men are to
develop Alzheimer's disease. Mutations in genes (on chromosomes 21, 14, and 1)
can result in early onset Alzheimer's. A mutation at the APOE gene on
chromosome 19 can influence both early onset and the more common late-onset
Alzheimer's.
What does this mean for you? If
you carry the mutated APOE gene, will you develop Alzheimer's disease? No one
knows for sure. Our ability to perform genetic tests to predict a disease
before we have the ability to prevent and treat it poses a dilemma. Before you
test yourself for this gene, you must ask, "What would I do with this
information?" Might your healthcare insurance company label you as a
"high-risk" patient based on your profile? Many of us are afraid of
the answer.
Nevertheless, there are some
strategies to prevent Alzheimer's disease. These include cognitive exercise
(challenging your brain) and the use of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
medications (ibuprofen). Talk to your primary care physician. He or she can
guide you through the mountains of information to find the answers that are
right for you.
Question: I’ve heard that estrogen may have a role
in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Is
there any truth to this?
Answer:Some
studies showed that women who took estrogen after menopause scored better on
neuropsychological testing of language, memory, and ability to abstract. This
observation led to many studies further examining the effect of estrogen on
memory, and specifically evaluating whether it could prevent Alzheimer's
disease. Unfortunately, we don't yet know whether taking supplemental estrogen
can prevent or defer Alzheimer's disease. Further research is necessary before
we can answer this question.
Home Page
Newsletters
FAQs
H-SCAN Physical Age Test
Our Results
|