Alzheimer's, Not "Old Timers"
  Contributed by: Stephanie Brna, Pharm.D. Candidate
                        Community Pharmacy Resident

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. Alzheimer's disease affects 5.3 million people in the United States. Every 70 seconds there is a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease!  It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who first described the disease in 1906. AD is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of abilities such as memory, orientation, reasoning, and functioning. AD is a brain disease that destroys memory and thinking capability. It is irreversible, worsens over time, and is fatal. Currently there is no cure for AD. AD is sometimes called "Old Timers" disease because it usually affects the older population. However, "younger-onset" AD can affect people in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Each person's brain contains nerve cells (neurons) that communicate among each other. Different nerve cells have different functions. In AD, nerve cells in the brain that are involved in thinking, learning, and remembering deteriorate and die. Abnormalities in the brain called plaques and tangles are involved in damaging and eventually killing these nerve cells. Plaques and tangles begin to form in learning and memory portions of the brain and then spread to other regions of the brain. They block nerve cell communication and interrupt activities the cells need to survive.
Risk factors for AD:

1. Age: the chance of developing AD doubles every 5 years after age 65.
   
2. Family history: those with a first-degree relative (mother, father,

brother, sister, child) with AD are more likely to develop AD.

1. Genetics:  different genes have been linked to risk of developing AD.
   
2. Head injury: there is a strong link between serious head injury and risk of AD.
   
3. Heart-head connection: risk of AD is greater with conditions that damage blood vessels (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke)
   

• Memory loss and changes in brain abilities appear.
  
• Problems may include getting lost, repeating questions, and mood changes.
  
• People are often diagnosed in this stage of AD.
  

• Language, reasoning, and conscious thought are affected.
  
• Memory loss and confusion worsen.
  
• Hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions are possible.
  

• Brain tissue has shrunk significantly.
  
• People in this stage cannot communicate and are dependent on others for care.
  

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life
   
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
   
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work, or leisure
   
4. Confusion with time or place
   
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
   

1. New problems with words in speaking or writing
   
2. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
   
3. Decreased or poor judgment
   
4. Withdrawal from work or social activities
   
5. Changes in mood and personality