Alzheimer’s disease is responsible for the most frequent dementia in our society, affecting more than 35 million people worldwide. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affecting different brain areas and functions. The most frequent onset symptom of this disease is found in memory problems.
Causes of Alzheimer’s disease
The exact cause of this disease is still unknown, but the main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are the following:
- Age: the older you are, the more predisposed you are to suffer from the disease, especially after the age of 65.
- Family history: there are genes associated with familial Alzheimer’s disease, which increase the risk of suffering from this disease in some family cases.
- Brain injuries: the presence of cerebral infarcts and a history of repetitive brain trauma increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Cardiovascular risk: increased cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes are risk factors for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
The symptoms of the disease are progressive over the years, which can make it difficult to diagnose. Generally, patients suffer from memory lapses (forgetfulness of recent activities, names and common places, among others). As the disease progresses, other areas of the brain are affected, causing the following symptoms:
- Difficulty finding words
- Disorientation in familiar places
- Personality changes
- Anxiety and depression
- Difficulty making decisions and planning tasks.
- Visual hallucinations
- Sleep disturbances
How to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease
There is no test that definitively confirms the disease. Diagnosis is based on the clinical history provided by the patient and his or her relatives or caregivers, as well as on a thorough neuropsychological examination to determine the degree of cognitive impairment. In this regard, it is important to rule out other causes of memory impairment, such as depression, drugs, alcohol, nutritional deficiencies, among others.
As complementary tests, neuroimaging scans (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) are performed in order to rule out other secondary causes of memory failure.
Treatments for Alzheimer’s disease
At present, there is no definitive cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are pharmacological therapies and lifestyle changes that can improve symptoms and slow their progression.
Non-pharmacological therapies such as maintaining an adequate diet, physical activity and cognitive stimulation exercises can slow cognitive deterioration. Regarding pharmacological therapies, the most commonly used drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine.
Finally, patients with advanced Alzheimer’s disease require social and family support, so it is essential to take this environment into account to optimize their quality of life.