Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a fatal and progressive degenerative disease of the brain. As many as 5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with this
disease. Approximately 10% of all people over the age of 65 and as many as 50% of those over the age of 85 are affected with Alzheimer's disease,
which is already the seventh leading cause for death. The number of people suffering from AD is expected to triple by 2050 as the population ages.
Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior, severe enough to affect work, daily living
and social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and is fatal in terminal stages of the disease.
The two most significant physical findings in the cells of brains
affected by Alzheimer's disease are neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. While some plaques are commonly found in brains of elderly
people, they appear in excessive numbers in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients. A protein called beta amyloid occupies
the center of these plaques.
While a few symptomatic therapies are available to patients, there is currently no therapy that can prevent or change the course of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior, severe enough to affect work, daily living and social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and is fatal in terminal stages of the disease.
The two most significant physical findings in the cells of brains affected by Alzheimer's disease are neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. While some plaques are commonly found in brains of elderly people, they appear in excessive numbers in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients. A protein called beta amyloid occupies the center of these plaques.
While a few symptomatic therapies are available to patients, there is currently no therapy that can prevent or change the course of Alzheimer's disease.