INTRODUCTION

Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior.

CAUSES

Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's Disease results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.
Less than five percent of the time, Alzheimer's is caused by specific genetic changes that virtually guarantee a person will develop the disease.

SYMPTOMS

• memory loss
• challenges in planning or solving problems
• difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
• confusion with time or place
• trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

SYMPTOMS (CONT.)

• new problems with words in speaking or writing
• misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
• decreased or poor judgement
• withdrawl from work or social activities
• changes in mood and personality, including apathy and depression

EFFECTS

Alzheimer's damages and kills brain cells. A brain affected by the disease has fewer cells and connections among surviving cells than a healthy brain.

TREATMENT

There is no current cure for Alzheimer's but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although treatment can't stop the disease from progressing, it can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with the disease.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

Studies indicate that people age 65 and older survive an average of four to eight years after a diagnoses of Alzheimer's, yet some live as long as twenty years.

YEARLY MORTALITY RATE

• 21-35 million people affected yearly worldwide
• As of 2015, 5.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's