What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is a disease that robs people of their memory. At first, people have a hard time remembering recent events, though they might easily recall things that happened years ago.
As time goes on, other symptoms can appear, including:
- Trouble focusing
- A hard time doing ordinary activities
- Feeling confused or frustrated, especially at night
- Dramatic mood swings — outbursts of anger, anxiety, and depression
- Feeling disoriented and getting lost easily
- Physical problems, such as an odd walk or poor coordination
- Trouble communicating
People with Alzheimer’s might forget their loved ones. They might forget how to dress themselves, feed themselves, and use the toilet.
The disease makes brain tissue break down over time. It usually happens to people over age 65.
A person can live with Alzheimer’s disease for just a few years or for a few decades. More often, however, people live with it for about 9 years. About 1 in 8 people aged 65 and over has the disease. Women are more likely to have it than men.
What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?
People who get Alzheimer’s disease are usually older, but the disease isn’t a normal part of aging. Scientists aren’t sure why some people get it and others don’t. But they do know that the symptoms it causes seem to come from two main types of nerve damage:
- Nerve cells get tangles, called neurofibrillary tangles.
- Protein deposits called beta-amyloid plaques build up in the brain.
Researchers aren’t sure what causes this damage or how it happens, but it could be a protein in blood called ApoE (for apolipoprotein E), which the body uses to move cholesterol in the blood.
There are a few types of ApoE that may be linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s. It could be that certain forms of it cause brain damage. Some scientists think it plays a role in building the plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
Whether or not ApoE partly causes Alzheimer’s, genes almost certainly play a role in the disease. Someone with a parent who had the disease is more likely to have it, too.
There is some evidence that people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol have a greater chance of getting Alzheimer’s. More rarely, head injuries may be a reason, too — the more severe they are, the greater the risk of Alzheimer’s later in life.
Scientists are still studying many of these theories, but it’s clear that the biggest risks linked to Alzheimer’s disease are being older and having Alzheimer’s in your family.
Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
Right now, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Once a person starts showing signs – memory loss and problems with learning, judgment, communication, and daily life — there aren’t any treatments that can stop or reverse them.
But there are medicines that can ease some of the symptoms in some people. They can slow down how quickly the disease gets worse, and help the brain work better for longer. It’s important to talk to your doctor about which option may work best for you.
How to Choose a Treatment
Your doctor will help you choose the best treatment based on a few things about you, including:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- How severe your disease is
- How well a medicine or therapy will work for you and your lifestyle
- Your preferences or those of your family or caregivers
What Medications Can Help?
The FDA has approved the drugs aducanumab-avwa (Aduhelm) and lecanemab-irmb (Leqembi) are the first therapies that target the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease by reducing amyloid beta plaques in the brain. They are not without controversy because of concerns it may cause swelling or bleeding in the brain.
Some drugs curb the breakdown of a chemical in the brain, called acetylcholine, that’s important for memory and learning. They may slow down how fast symptoms get worse for about half of the people who take them. The effect lasts for a limited time, on average 6 to 12 months. Common side effects are usually mild for these medications and include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, and weight loss. There are three drugs of this type: donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine (Exelon).
- Aricept is the only treatment approved by the FDA for all stages of Alzheimer’s disease: mild, moderate, and severe. You can take it as a tablet that you swallow or that dissolves in your mouth.
Dealing With Memory Problems?
As it gets harder to remember things, you can use a few strategies to help your memory. You may have to try a few different ones before you find what works for you. To start:
- Keep a notebook or smartphone with you to keep track of important information, phone numbers, names, ideas you have, appointments, your address, and directions to your home.
- Put sticky notes around the house with reminders for yourself.
- Label cupboards and drawers with words or pictures that describe their contents.
- Ask a friend or family member to call and remind you of important things you need to do during the day, like taking medication and going to appointments.
- Keep photos of people you see often, and label the photos with their names.
What’s the Best Way to Plan the Day?
- Focus on things you enjoy and are able to do safely on your own.
- Take advantage of the times of the day when you feel best. It will be easier to get things done.
- Allow yourself the time to do what you need to do. Don’t feel like you have to hurry or let other people rush you.
- If something gets too hard, take a break.
- Ask for help if you need it.