Alzheimer's Disease: Six Factors

Alzheimer's disease - the two words nobody wants to hear a doctor.

Although medical research has made and continues to make progress in identifying the causes of Alzheimer's disease, the exact causes are not yet known. But researchers have a clearer picture of Alzheimer's disease than they did a few years ago idea.

Most individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease have large amounts of accumulated plaques and tangles in the brain. Plaques are deposits of beta-amyloid protein, which accumulates in the spaces between nerve cells in the brain. Tangles are deposits of tau, which are combined and twisted inside nerve cells in the brain.

Researchers have determined that there are two (2) types of Alzheimer's disease: familial Alzheimer disease and sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

familial Alzheimer
Familial AD is a rare form of the disease, which is characterized by early onset. Familial Alzheimer disease affects less than 10% of Alzheimer's patients.

People with familial Alzheimer's disease have a "deterministic gene" which inevitably leads to the appearance of the disease. Everyone found only a few hundred families to carry the gene for Alzheimer's disease deterministic.

Sporadic Alzheimer's disease:
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease is a more common form of the disease. This type of Alzheimer's disease has a deterministic this gene. The onset is usually after the age of 65 genetic factors play a role in development, although no specific gene linked to this type of Alzheimer's disease.

Doctors have identified several risk factors that they believe may be related to the development of Alzheimer's disease. It was found that the following factors to be important causes:

Six (6) Risk Factors to know now:

1 Age: Alzheimer's disease usually develops after 65 years Less than 5% of people aged 65-74 have Alzheimer's disease, but the risk of developing the disease doubles every 5 years after 65 years of age, approximately 50% of the population over 85 is at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

2 Family history: Your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease are up to seven (7) times, if a family member (parent, sibling) with the disease. This number is even higher if several family members have the disease.

Genetics 3: gene apolipoprotein E gene (APOE e4) was identified as a risk gene for Alzheimer's disease. Risk gene increase the likelihood of developing a specific disease, but unlike a deterministic gene, this does not guarantee that you will develop.

The APOE gene increases an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later. The APOE gene provides instructions for making a protein called apolipoprotein E. This protein is combined with lipids (fats) in the body to form molecules called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are responsible for the transport package and cholesterol and other fats in the blood.

Everyone inherits one copy of the APOE gene from each parent. There are three types of APOE genes: APOE e2, APOE e3, and APOE E4. Only APOE E4 gene has been linked to Alzheimer's disease, and those with one copy of the ApoE e4 gene are 3.2 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, individuals with two copies of the gene (approximately 1% of the population) had a 9-fold higher risk.

4 Gender: Women are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men.

5 Education: Several studies suggest a relationship between educational level and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. But more research is needed in this area.

6 severe head injuries: brain injuries such as concussions, have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

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