Index
- Causes and risk factors of Alzheimer's disease, what are they?
- Alzheimer's disease, what to remember
- Definition
- Symptoms
- People at risk
- Whatare the causes and risk factors for this disease?
- What are the causes and risk factors for this disease?
- Lesions that cause Alzheimer's disease
- Risk factors
- Alzheimer's disease, what to remember
Causes and risk factors of Alzheimer's disease, what are they?
One of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease is considered to be the disease of the elderly beyond the age of 65. The number of people suffering from it is 900,000 in France, 15% of whom are over 80 years old. This disease is particularly disabling, especially in its final stage. Indeed, it must be stressed that people suffering from this disease all end up losing their autonomy. Although the disease is fairly well known, its causes and risk factors remain unclear for many people. This is why the following paragraphs are devoted to the origins of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease, what to remember
Definition
As a neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's disease is progressive. It is characterised by a progressive death of neurons. This subsequently leads to a deterioration of cognitive abilities and functions. This pathology thus affects the patient's memory. The latter will then face alterations in ideation and is regularly lost in time and space. More commonly, the term dementia is used to describe Alzheimer's disease.
Symptoms
As a progressive disease, the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease evolve and vary progressively with the disease. In any case, there are several very characteristic signs that help to recognize this health disorder. In addition to recent memory loss, Alzheimer's disease also manifests itself by :
- Difficulty in carrying out certain very simple actions of everyday life or apraxia (shopping, tying one's shoes, filling out a cheque, etc.)
- Aphasia. This sign corresponds to the difficulty to find the right word and the right term during discussions or while writing
- Difficulty recognizing everyday objects
- Difficulty understanding what's going on around you
- Mood disorders
- Difficulty structuring one's thoughts
- Sleep disorders and insomnia
People at risk
Although anyone can get Alzheimer's disease, some people are at greater risk of developing it. These are the people who are at risk, and they are mostly the :
- Persons aged 60 and over. It is important to know that from the age of 65, the risk of developing this disease doubles every five years
- Female persons. The risk is high for women because their life expectancy is higher than that of men
- People who have a parent or family member with the disease
In addition, people of Hispanic and African-American descent are also more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
Whatare the causes and risk factors for this disease?
People of Hispanic and African-American descent are also more likely to have Alzheimer's disease.
What are the causes and risk factors for this disease?
Although the main cause of Alzheimer's disease is the death of neurons, other risk factors can contribute to this.
Lesions that cause Alzheimer's disease
Even before the first symptoms of this pathology occur, two main forms of lesions affect neurons and lead to their death. These lesions are:
- Amyloid plaques - these are located between neurons and contribute to the alteration of connections between neurons.
- Neurofibrillary degeneration - this lesion is localized within the neurons themselves. This form of degeneration is at the origin of cellular disorganization, and eventually leads to neuronal death in the hippocampus. It should be noted that the hippocampus plays an essential role in the constitution of Moreover, this neuronal death results in atrophy of certain parts of the brain. This results in a decrease in the volume of the brain.
Both forms of lesions are characterized by protein clusters that form with age. They are therefore an integral part of the normal aging process. However, in the case of Alzheimer's disease, they tend to accumulate far too much than normal.
Risk factors
Some of the factors that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease include :
- Eating habits - according to several studies, a diet high in fat and sugar is conducive to the development of this dementia.
- Untreated cardiovascular disorders, such as high blood pressure or stroke.
- Smoking - in people who use tobacco or certain anxiolytic treatments, the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases by 20-50%. The same is true for people who take sleeping pills.
- Educational attainment - this may be surprising, but research has shown that educational attainment also contributes to the development of this neurodegenerative disorder. It would appear that the risk is higher in people with 6 years of schooling or less.
In addition to the factors listed above, other less important factors may also play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. This is the case with some severe head injuries that are accompanied by loss of consciousness. Obesity and a history of depression are other factors that may also play a role.
