Facts about Alzheimer's disease

Adolescence is the age between adulthood and childhood. Teenagers are often confused about their role and are torn between their responsibilities as growing adults and their desires as children.

- Dr Arun Oommen

Dr Arun Oommen MBBS, MS (Gen Surg), Mch( Neurosurgery),MRCSEd, MBA Consultant Neurosurgeon, VPS Lakeshore Hospital Kochi, India

Alzheimer's disease (AD), accounts for 60% to 70% of cases of dementia. It was first described by, German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. It is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events (short-term memory loss). As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care, and behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years. In 2010, there were between 21 and 35 million people worldwide with AD. It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although 4% to 5% of cases are early-onset Alzheimer's which begin before this. In India the number of people with AD and other dementias is increasing every year because of the steady growth in the older population resulting in an estimated increase of twofold by 2030 and threefold by 2050 in developed countries.

Causes