Healthcare Directory

2014-2015 Medical & Dental Directory | 63 C urrently in 2014, an estimated 5.2 mil- lion Americans of all ages are affected by Alz- heimer's disease. According to figures from the U.S. Census and the Chicago Health and Aging Project, the disease affects 5 million people age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer's. e most common type of the disease is dementia. De- mentia is an overall term for diseases and conditions charac- terized by a decline in memory or other thinking skills that affects a person's ability to perform everyday activities. De- mentia is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain, which are called neurons. symptoms Alzheimer's disease affects people in different ways. e most common initial symptom is a gradually worsening ability to remember new information. is occurs because the first neurons to malfunction and die are usually neu- rons in brain regions involved in forming new memories. As neurons in other parts of the brain malfunction and die, individuals experience other difficulties. e following are common symptoms of Alzheimer's*: • Memory loss that disrupts daily life. • Challenges in planning or solving problems. • Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. • Confusion with time or place. • Trouble understanding visual images and missing MEMoriES By KeLLy TWeDeLL The devastating world of Alzheimer's and those it affects senior care spatial relationships. • New problems with words in speaking or writing. • Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. • Decreased or poor judgment. • Withdrawal from work or social activities. • Changes in mood and personality, including apathy and depression. risk FaCtors For alzheimer's disease With the exception of the rare cases of Alzheimer's caused by known genetic mutations, experts believe that Alzhei- mer's, like other common chronic diseases, develops as a re- sult of multiple factors rather than a single cause. Following are known risk factors for Alzheimer's. Age. e greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is advanced age. Most people with Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed at age 65 or older. People younger than 65 can also develop the disease, although this is much more rare. ough age is a risk factor, Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging and advanced age alone is not sufficient to cause the disease according to medical studies. FAmily History. Individuals who have a parent, brother or sister with Alzheimer's are more likely to develop the disease than those who do not have a first-degree relative with Alzheimer's. ose who have more than one first-degree relative with Alzheimer's are thought to be at even higher risk. When diseases run in families, heredity (genetics), shared environmental and lifestyle factors, or both, may play a role. e increased risk associated with having a family history of

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