Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia. This incurable, degenerative and terminal disease was first described by Alöis Alzheimer in 1901. Initial onset is typically in people over 65 years old, though a less prevalent inherited form strikes earlier. An estimated 26.6 million people worldwide were afflicted by Alzheimer's in 2006; this number may quadruple by 2050.
Each individual experiences the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in unique ways.The earliest symptoms of AD are often mistaken as being noncritical age-related complaints, or manifestations of stress. In the early stages, the most commonly recognised symptom is memory loss, such as the difficulty to remember recently learned facts; generally, symptoms are first reported to a physician when memory loss becomes apparent. If AD is suspected as the cause, the physician or healthcare specialist may confirm the diagnosis with behavioral assessments and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan, if available. As the disease advances, symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually, minor and major bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Individual prognosis is difficult to assess, as the duration of the disease varies. AD develops for an indeterminate period of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnosed for years. The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years, while fewer than three percent of patients live more than fourteen years after diagnosis. |
