Alzheimer's Disease: Symptoms, Risk and Care

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects thinking and memory; with AD, the ability to reason or learn new skills declines until daily activities become hard.

AD begins slowly, over many years, first affecting the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Early on it can be mistaken for the ordinary memory changes of aging — but AD is not a normal part of aging. The brain changes it causes lead to symptoms that worsen over time.

Symptoms and stages

People with AD may have trouble remembering recent events or the names of people they know, and behavior can vary from person to person and day to day. Other symptoms can include:

• getting lost in familiar places;
• asking the same question repeatedly;
• not recognizing family members;
• trouble speaking, reading or writing;
• not taking care of oneself, such as not bathing or eating poorly.

AD progresses in stages. Later, people may become anxious or aggressive or wander away from home, and eventually they need total care — a source of great stress for family caregivers.

• Late-onset AD, the most common, begins at age 65 or older.
• Early-onset AD begins before 65 and is uncommon.

Who is at risk

Researchers don't fully understand what causes AD. They believe it may result from age-related brain changes combined with genetic, health and lifestyle factors.

• Age is the biggest risk factor.
• Family history raises the risk, though many people who develop AD have no family history of it.
• Conditions linked to higher risk include hearing loss, depression, mild cognitive impairment and concussion or other traumatic brain injury.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) causes more memory problems than usual for a person's age. Many people with MCI, but not all, go on to develop AD.

Diagnosis

Other health problems can cause memory loss or AD-like symptoms, so talk with a health care provider about noticeable memory changes. To tell AD from normal aging or another condition, a provider may:

• review your medical history and medicines;
• test memory, thinking and problem-solving;
• ask about changes in behavior or personality;
• run tests to rule out other medical or mental health conditions;
• refer you to a specialist in caring for older adults, or to a neurologist, who treats diseases of the brain and nervous system.

Treatment

No treatment can stop AD, but some medicines may keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.

Supporting brain health

You can't change some risk factors, such as age, but changing certain habits may support brain health and overall health:

• manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and hearing loss;
• get regular physical activity;
• eat a healthy diet;
• quit smoking, or don't start;
• get enough sleep;
• build strong social connections.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine: "Alzheimer's Disease," with information from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.