Alzheimer's is "a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and worsen over time, until they are so severe that they interfere with daily tasks" (Alzheimer's Association, n.d.).
The person suffering from this disease usually experiences forgetfulness or omissions, difficulty in completing daily tasks, confusion about the time and place where the person is, and changes in mood or personality (Alzheimer's Foundation of Latin America, n.d.).
Although research on this type of dementia continues, regarding the causes of Alzheimer's disease, specialists have found that protein accumulations occur in the brain that cause amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which generate loss of neurons by reducing the connections between them (National Institute on Aging, n.d.).
On the other hand, it is possible to establish which factors affect a person's probability of developing Alzheimer's disease; therefore, the following are the main ones (Alzheimer Society, n.d.):
- Age: people aged 65 years and older are at higher risk.
- Sex: women are twice as likely as men, which could be related to the decrease in estrogen hormone from menopause onwards.
- Having an unhealthy lifestyle: maintaining unhealthy habits such as unbalanced eating and sedentary lifestyle are risk factors, on the contrary, having a healthy lifestyle decreases the chances of Alzheimer's disease.
- Having any chronic disease: Having been diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, etc., may increase the risk.
However, it should be clarified that none of these factors determines that a person will develop dementia. Knowing these factors motivates us to reinforce lifestyle habits at any stage of life, especially in older adults.
On the other hand, having a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease does not mean that the person cannot live with quality of life; fortunately, there are currently specialized stimulation procedures for those suffering from some type of dementia. In addition, health specialists provide high-level therapies to maintain the functional capabilities of the elderly, which improves performance from this condition.
Bibliographic references
National Institute on Aging (n.d.). Alzheimer's disease fact sheet.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet
Alzheimer Society (n.d.) Risk factors: Who gets Alzheimer's disease?https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/who-gets-alzheimers-disease#content-start
Alzheimer's Association (n.d.) What is Alzheimer's? https://www.alz.org/alzheimer-demencia/queeslaenfermedaddealzheimer?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=google_grants&utm_content=espanol&gclid=CjwKCAjw0dKXBhBPEiwA2bmObT8IR6dsoMtdEMuKp4Y6V0nEZW29t50Ys2d4otqydeP682bbpXBhoCz9IQAvD_BwE#Informaci%C3%B3n%20esencial
Alzheimer's Foundation of Latin America (n.d.) What is Alzheimer's disease? https://alzfdn.org/what-is-alzheimers-disease
