Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disease that is irreversible and gradually destroys memory and cognitive skills.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, which is increasing in importance year by year. Due to medical and therapeutic progress and the increase in human life expectancy, as well as the increase in understanding and attention to Alzheimer's disease, September 21 corresponds to Shahrivar 30. Every year is named after the world Alzheimer's day. Of course, Alzheimer's disease has historical importance. A few decades ago, Alzheimer's disease did not exist at all, and it was thought that when people get old, they become forgetful, and in fact, forgetfulness is considered old age. Even Professor Alzheimer's disease was described as pre-senile dementia and it was called pre-senile dementia for a long time After many years, researchers found that the changes that occur in the brains of old people with Alzheimer's also occur in the brains of young people with Alzheimer's. Therefore, a rare disease, dementia of old age, became one of the most common diseases.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that starts with mild memory loss and sometimes leads to the loss of the ability to communicate and react to the environment.
Alzheimer's disease affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language
It can seriously affect a person's ability to perform daily activities.
Prevalence of Alzheimer's:
In 2020, about 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimer's disease. Younger people can develop Alzheimer's disease, but it is less common. It is predicted that by 2050, due to the growing trend of the population and the increase in life expectancy, the number of people suffering from this disease will increase to 115 million people, so that one person will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease every 33 seconds. Alzheimer's disease affects the quality of life of the affected people and imposes a great economic and emotional cost on the patients, the people around them and the society. Age is a major risk factor in this disease, and 65 years old is considered as the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease, and after 65 years old, for every 5 years of age increase, the probability of people getting this disease doubles. Of course, in rare cases, the possibility of getting Alzheimer's in middle age (before 65 years old) is seen, which is called early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD).
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of this disease can appear for the first time after the age of 60, and the risk of developing it increases with age.
This disease has the following three symptomatic phases:
Mild symptoms: confusion and memory loss, disorientation, difficulty with normal tasks, and changes in personality and judgment
2) Moderate symptoms: sleep disturbance, difficulty recognizing family and friends, anger and rage, difficulty in daily activities
3) severe symptoms: loss of speech, loss of bladder and bowel control, loss of appetite, weight loss, complete dependence on a nurse
Factors affecting Alzheimer's disease
Several factors play a role in the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.
1. Age and gender: Aging is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Out of every 10,000 people between 65 and 74 years old, 2 people get Alzheimer's disease, while this statistic is 37 people for people over 85 years old.
Statistics have shown that there is a slight difference between the percentage of women and men with Alzheimer's disease, and women who have Alzheimer's disease live longer than men with this disease.
2. Genetics, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in those who have a history of Alzheimer's disease in their first-degree relatives.
3. Down's syndrome: A large number of people with Down's syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease, and this disease manifests itself about 10 to 20 years earlier in these people.
4. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Mild cognitive impairment is an impairment of memory or other thinking skills. This disease does not prevent the daily functioning of affected people, but it threatens the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
5. Head trauma: Those with a history of severe head trauma are more at risk of developing Alzheimer's.
6. Irregular sleep: Studies have shown that irregular sleep and sleep problems can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
7. Lifestyle and heart health: Research has shown that some factors such as lack of movement and lack of exercise, obesity, smoking or being exposed to it, high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as type 2 diabetes are factors that increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.The risk of Alzheimer's can be reduced by changing lifestyle such as exercising, eating a low-fat diet, and eating fruit.
8. Social participation and learning: According to research, social participation and social activities reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Also, a low level of education (illiterate and less than a diploma) is also effective in increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
9. Viagra: This might surprise you, but people who used Viagra or Sildenafil tablets were less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Most of these people have survived this disease. It has been said that Viagra stimulates the growth and stimulation of brain cells and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's. There is even research going on to use Sildenafil to treat Alzheimer's. Of course, more research should be done on this issue to reach a definitive conclusion. This drug also enhances memory.
