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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a
progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment
of memory and a disturbance in at least one other thinking function
(for example, language or perception of reality). Many scientists
believe that AD results from an increase in the production or
accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) that leads
to nerve cell death. Loss of nerve cells in strategic brain areas,
in turn, causes deficits in the neurotransmitters, which are the
brain's chemical messengers.
About 4 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer's. It is an
illness that makes it hard for people to remember, think, and use
language. It can make them act strange or seem moody. After a while,
people with Alzheimer's have a hard time with things like using the
phone, cooking or handling money.
Sadly, many people think the early symptoms of Alzheimer's are signs
of normal aging. So Alzheimer's is often not diagnosed and treated
early.
The disease is more common in older adults. And it affects all
races. About 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's. As
many as 5 in 10 people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer's.
Studies indicate that Black Americans are at
greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than other American
groups. Hypertension,
type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, which are highly prevalent
among African-Americans, are significant risk factors for the
development of Alzheimer's disease.
According to a 2002 report by the Alzheimer's
Association, 65 percent of black Medicare beneficiaries have
hypertension compared to only half of white beneficiaries. And
blacks have a 60 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes than do
whites.
Links to more information concerning Alzheimer's:
Alzheimer's
Association
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