How do you know if you have early stages of Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that disrupts a person's ability to function independently. The condition results in progressive loss of memory and cognitive function, usually over a decade or so, and is devastating both to those who have it and to their loved ones. Older age does not cause Alzheimer's. Science may have found a solution. After decades of disappointment, they have a new lead on fighting Alzheimer’s disease.

 After originally describing a disease of diminished cognitive function, Alois Alzheimer identified precise microscopic signs of brain pathology in a number of individuals during autopsies. His initial patients were in their late 50s and dementia or impaired thinking that he noticed was characterized by delusions and word-finding issues caused by memory loss.

How does Alzheimer's disease develop?

Everyone is different, and the disease doesn’t develop at the same rate in everybody. Some of the symptoms of different stages happen at the same time, or in a different order. But there are enough similarities for doctors to recognize which kind of dementia a person has. Some symptoms of distinct phases occur together or in a different order. However, there are enough similarities for doctors to determine which type of dementia a patient has.

There are probably subtle changes in the brain for a few years before a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s one of the major areas of research. In elderly people, this stage is often called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). They may have difficulty remembering recent events, repeat things they’ve just said, struggle to think things through, get easily distracted, find it difficult to find the right word or fail to judge distances correctly.

Is Alzheimer's disease hereditary?

First of all a few clarifications on terminology,

Dementia is a clinical disorder that is characterized by a progressive decline from previous abilities in one or more cognitive domains (memory, language, behavioral, etc.) and is severe enough that one loses the ability to live independently in life. Forgetting what movie you saw 2 days ago does not mean you have dementia. 

Forgetting whether you ate dinner or not and causing you to skip meals and become malnourished means you may have dementia. There are many causes of dementia, ranging from trauma, and strokes, to neurodegenerative disease.

When patients ask me if Alzheimer's disease is hereditary, they usually wonder "Did I get it from my parents?" or "Can I give this to my children?" It is helpful to think of this in 2 ways: genes that will cause a disease and genes that will increase the risk of you getting a disease.

Symptoms of Alzheimer or Dimentia:

Research and clinical trials encounter extreme roadblocks when there is evidence supporting the facts that several factors such as the following that might be causing dementia-like symptoms:

• genetics (the Apo4 E4 gene)
• pollution exposure
• anxiety
• type 2 diabetes
• TOMM40 (genetics again)
• chemicals in the food we consume and a poor diet
• lack of exercise and sleep

The intersection of genetic and environmental risks triggers dementia and Alzheimer’s.

That’s a lot of contributing factors to worry about. The way I look at it, if I got lung cancer, I probably got it from smoking. If I got diabetes, I probably got it from my diet and food consumption. I could guess about other diseases and, of course, there is a lot I wouldn’t have a clue about. However, put multiple contributors together and see what kind of soup you get. What if only 2 of these factors give me dementia and another pair of factors give you dementia? This is a problem facing researchers. It’s an extremely complicated issue.

Factors Related to Dimentia or Alzheimer Disease:

Alzheimer's disease is thought to be the result of a complex interplay of hereditary, environmental, and lifestyle factors, while its specific etiology is unknown. Listed below are a few known and possible risk factors for Alzheimer's disease:

Age: People over 65 are most frequently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Genetics: A increased chance of getting Alzheimer's has been associated with specific genetic mutations.

Family history: The likelihood of having Alzheimer's is increased if a parent or sibling already has the condition.

Head injury: A higher chance of getting Alzheimer's has been associated with severe head injuries.

Cardiovascular risk factors: Conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can increase the risk of Alzheimer's.

Lifestyle factors: A diet high in unhealthy fats and low in fruits and vegetables, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking are all factors that may increase the risk of Alzheimer's.

It's important to note that having one or more of these risk factors does not guarantee that a person will develop Alzheimer's. Conversely, a person without any risk factors may still develop the disease. Further research is needed to fully understand the causes of Alzheimer's.

Is Alzheimer's A Fatal Disease?

Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of brain damage and destruction. It affects many parts of the brain but memory loss is the most significant symptom. As your memory goes you forget names and faces and eventually your own existence. (you don’t answer to your own name) You eventually forget how to move your own body. You stop being able to put food into your mouth, you forget how to swallow and you slowly become malnourished. 

Eventually, you stop walking and become bedridden. You have forgotten how to move your own body. As you lie there you effectively forget to breathe. Your breathing becomes more shallow and you develop pneumonia. The entire process from diagnosis to death takes around 10 years in typical cases.

So YES Alzheimer’s Disease is fatal. In fact, it, and related dementias, are the only chronic diseases for which there is not only no cure but currently, there is not even a treatment. All current medications only work to slow symptoms.

Conclusion:

Diabetes may increase your risk of Alzheimer's. But blood sugar control, exercise, and a healthy diet may help. Not all studies confirm the connection, but many do suggest that people with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are at higher risk of eventually developing Alzheimer's dementia or other dementias. 

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables contain sulforaphane, which powerfully assists in DNA repair. They're also high in folate and carotenoids, which lower homocysteine. High levels of this amino acid are linked to cognitive decline and dementia.