What is alzheimers

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, making up circa 75% of all cases of dementia. Over half a million people in the UK are impacted by the disease and this number is expected to double over the course of the next 15 years. 

The disease is caused by the gradual loss of connection between brain cells. Abnormal clumps in the brain tissue coupled with tangled fibres appear where they shouldn’t and this facilitates the loss of connection between brain cells. Subsequent shrinking (caused by brain cell death) of various parts of the brain that look after memory/other cognitive function then takes place. 

The brain damage will take place long before any behavioural symptoms will come into being. 

A person who has died may not have had any dementia symptoms at all when they were alive, but might be found to have tissue degradation in the brain at the post mortem caused by Alzheimer’s. 

Progressive disease

As an affected person gets older, even more parts of the brain starts to shrink to the extent that these changes can be seen easily on the most basic of brain scans. It is a progressive disease, and whilst if diagnosed early, some medication can be used successfully, there is a time window that has to be met for it to be effective. There are some lifestyle changes that can be made, but these are to improve the quality of life on the ‘journey’ rather than proven ways to minimise the direct impact of the disease. These include diet/exercise etc.

What causes Alzheimers?

There is not one ‘cause’ of Alzheimer’s, but there are a few issues/areas where the risk is heightened. These are ‘age’, the older you are, over 65, the more likely you are to be affected. If there is a family history of Alzheimer’s, then this increases risk. LInked to family history, is genetics, so there is a hereditary link, albeit a small one as far as ‘chances’ go. 

There was a fear a few years back that aluminium was one of the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies had suggested that there was high levels of aluminium in the brain tissue of sufferers, so as a result, people threw away anything that contained the metal, such as pots and pans. This proved pointless, as aluminium can be found in our diets, in everyday food. As the old saying goes ‘everything in moderation’ is the best way to go forward!

As detailed, the causes of abnormal clumps and tangled fibres in the brain tissue are yet to be worked out, but thankfully, more and more money is being spent to try and find a cure, or at least a drug that will slow the disease’s progression and/or improve quality of life drastically. 

Alzheimers is used as an umbrella term for dementia diseases

Historically, owing to the stigma often attached to the word ‘dementia’, and because the word ‘dementia’ has offensive connotations in many languages. Many organisations who use the term ‘Alzheimer’s’ will also focus on non alzheimer’s dementia and influence policies that impacts all types of dementia. On top of this, when the media cite reports that highlight news and announcements about Alzheimer’s when it comes to advancements etc, it is worth finding out whether it is specifically Alzheimer’s they are referring to. 

One final point to remember if you are facing Alzheimers, is that, as stated, it is a gradual disease that starts years before the behavioural symptoms come to light. If a patient goes downhill very quickly, the chances are there is another illness/problem at play, like an infection or delirium. If they are treated correctly, they should return to their previous level of cognitive function.

There is also a new dementia disease called Late, which historically people had been diagnosed with. However, new evidence has come to light that it is in fact late, which different protein deposits that cause damage to the brain. More about this here.