Alzheimer's


 * __ Alzheimer's __**

The direct cause of Alzheimer's disease has yet to be found. However, scientists think the APOE ε4 gene, which occurs in about 40 percent of all people who develop late-onset AD may be a cause. This gene is found on the chromosome 19 therefore making it a non sex linked trait. Another Gene that may be a cause is the SORL1. Scientists believe that four to seven other AD risk-factor genes exist and are using a new approach called a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to help speed the discovery process. []
 * Causes:**

Alzheimer's is a disease caused by genetic mutation. It is an autosomal dominant linked trait. Alzheimer's effects 5.1 million Americans. Every 70 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
 * Pattern of Inheritance:**

Characteristics of Alzheimer's occur when neurofibrillary tangles and plaque form in the brain and interrupt normal brain processes. This causes extreme disorientation, loss of thought processes and severe forgetfulness. The early symptoms are often confused as "age-related" concerns. In the early stages the most recognizable symptoms is the inability to aquire new memories. As Alzheimer's progresses symptoms start to include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, and long term memory loss. The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is seven years. []
 * Characteristics:**

Researchers are looking for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people with dementia. The FDA has approved tow medications for the help with memory loss: cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine.There are also some alternative treatments, but the overall feeling towards them is skeptical and worrisome because of the multiple unknown factors with the treatments. Scientist continue to research the disease in order to find a treatment and cure for he disease,
 * Treatments:**

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_standard_prescriptions.asp

The four pillars of prevention are diet and supplements, stress management, exercise, and medicines. A combination of these four things is believed to prevent Alzheimer's. Diet and supplements are helpful because some foods speed up memory loss and others prevent it so if someone with a family history of Alzheimer's eats the right foods they may prevent their symptoms. Stress management helps to stop the flow of cortisol, which in excess can damage brain cells and prevent someones ability to learn and retain new information. Mental exercises help keep a person's brain fit and healthy. Medicines can help delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's including memory loss. Prevention does not work in most cases, it just postpones the symptoms.
 * Prevention:**

[] Alzheimer's can only be definitively diagnosed by examining the brains after the patient has died. Diagnosis in living patients is through a long process of elimination including MRIs, mental evaluations, blood and urine tests performed to rule out other causes of dementia. Verbal memory tests are the best overall predictor of early Alzheimer's. Constructing objects, recalling words, connecting dots, and figuring out mazes are examples of these verbal memory tests. These tests can predict who will develop Alzheimer's eighty percent of the time. []
 * Testing:**

- Only about one or two people in one hundred has Alzheimer's at age sixty-five but one of of every five people has the disorder by age eighty. - Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. - It is the only cause of death, among the top ten leading causes of death, that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
 * Interesting Facts:**

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 * Sources:**