Quick Facts about Alzheimer’s Disease

A new study released by the Cleveland Clinic found that 82% of women did not know that they are at an elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). This is especially concerning because most cases of Alzheimer’s disease are women, with 12% of women in the US diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022).

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain. Essentially, an abnormal accumulation of protein fragments (known as beta-amyloid proteins) happens OUTSIDE the neurons of the brain whereas an abnormal form of the tau protein accumulates INSIDE the neurons. These abnormal proteins interfere with the signals that are transmitted between each neuron. The first part of the brain affected are the areas that are involved with memory, language, and thinking. The degeneration of these parts of the brain begins almost 20 years before any noticeable symptoms present in a patient. As the disease progresses, it can lead to a complication known as Dementia, which presents with issues related to language, problem-solving, and memory (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022).

Since dementia is not just caused by Alzheimer’s disease, it is important to be able to distinguish between it and other neurodegenerative diseases, which is outlined in the following table.

	Alzheimer’s Disease	​Parkinson’s Disease	​Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD)
​First Symptom	Loss of Memory	Tremor that is barely noticeable in one hand (Mayo Clinic, 2022)	Changes in personality and difficulty speaking or understanding
​Other important signs/symptoms	Loss of Memory is Episodic (not always present)	Difficulty walking, no muscle expression, problems speaking (Alzheimer’s Association)	​Similar s/s to Alzheimer’s just at earlier age(40-65)

Unless otherwise noted, information taken from Alzeheimer’s Association facts and figures (2022)

Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease include age, genetics, and family history (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022). It is extremely important that if you know a family member who had Alzheimer’s disease, you tell your physician.

References:

Alzheimer’s Association. (2022). 2022 alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Retrieved from https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf

Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Differential diagnosis of parkinson's disease dementia. Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.alz.org/professionals/health-systems-clinicians/dementia-diagnosis/differential-diagnosis/differential_diagnosis_of_parkinson_s_disease_deme

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, June 23). The women's alzheimer's movement at Cleveland Clinic Survey: Women are unaware of critical aspects of their health. Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. Retrieved from https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2022/06/23/the-womens-alzheimers-movement-at-cleveland-clinic-survey-women-are-unaware-of-critical-aspects-of-their-health/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, March 24). Parkinson's disease. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055