What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder, which destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with cognition and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.
What causes Alzheimer’s?
While no one knows the exact cause of Alzheimer’s, there are characteristics that scientists have discovered. Deposits of protein — “plaques,” or beta-amyloid, and “tangles” or the protein tau, collect in the spaces between nerve cells. Age and genetic factors seem to be the strongest causes of Alzheimer’s.
How is Alzheimer’s treated?
No treatment has been proven to stop Alzheimer’s, but there are several drugs on the market that, if begun in the early or middle stages, can prevent rapid decline for a limited period.
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