2. What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia in older
adults.
Alzheimer’s impacts areas of the brain that involve thought,
memory, language, and eventually motor skills.
It slows functions between Nerve cells in the brain
Known causes of Alzheimer’s are still vastly UNKNOWN
3. How it Works
Alzheimer’s slows connections between nerve cells in the
brain making communication difficult, eventually it causes
brain cells to stop functioning entirely and then they die.
Two things that scientists believe are critical to how
Alzheimer’s works are Plaques and Tangles
Plaques are protein deposits from beta-amyloid that build
up between nerve cells
Tangles are twists fibers of the Tau protein that build up
inside cells.
5. Stages of Alzheimer’s
First stage- Slight memory problems, poor judgment, mood
changes.
Stage 2- Disability in performing tasks, may need help from
others. Short and Long term memory problems.
Stage 3- Loss of motor functions, can’t speak, recognize
people, loss of control for bodily functions, memory nearly
gone.
6. Who can get it?
According to recent CDC studies over 5 million Americans
alone suffer from Alzheimer’s.
In rare cases young adults can get it, Alzheimer’s tends to
begin around age 60 and goes up in risk every year.
5% of men and women will get Alzheimer’s around age
64-75, and nearly half of people age 85 might already have
it.
7. Symptoms
Memory loss that disrupts daily life
Challenges in problem solving
Confusion with time/place
Trouble speaking/understanding visual images
Changes in mood/personality/normal routines
Losing things and losing ability to retrace steps
8. The cause?
Though the exact cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown, several
risk factors are apparent
Age Genetic Factors
Family History Cardiovascular Disease
Mild Cognitive Impairment Head trauma/brain injury
9. Treatments
There is no treatment for Alzheimer’s though there are
some treatments that can slow the process temporarily
Two new brain scan techniques can be used to show the
early stages of Alzheimer’s
Blood and Urine tests can confirm Alzheimer’s as well.
11. Men’s Health
Men are twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s than women are,
yet the exact reason is not known why.
High cholesterol and high blood pressure can lead to a
higher chance for Alzheimer’s. As men tend to have more
bad cholesterol we are at a higher risk.
12. Men vs. Women
Studies have shown that there are more cases of
Alzheimer’s in women, Men are twice as likely to get the
disease.
Of the 5.2 million American studies, 3.4 million were
women and 1.8 million were men.
Scientists believe the reason more women have the disease
is that even though men are more likely to get it, women are
more likely to outlive men and have more time to fully
develop Alzheimer’s or another form of Dementia.
13. My Recommendations
• Stay active, being active increases brain activity
• Watch diet, make sure to not eat too much fatty
foods
• Work on puzzles and other games to increase
brain function along side physical activity
