alzheimer's disease affect the older population
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. Remember that Alzheimer's disease is not natural aging. It is a progressive disease that causes the abnormal death of brain cells. The initial symptoms often include memory loss, but as the disease progresses, it kills more of the brain until the person is unable to move, swallow or breathe. That’s because the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age, and the U.S. population is aging. Alzheimer’s is a slow disease that progresses in three stages—an early, preclinical stage with no symptoms, a middle stage of mild cognitive impairment, and a final stage of Alzheimer’s dementia. Alzheimer's disease is officially listed as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is the fifth-leading cause of death for people age 65 and older. As the population of the United States ages, Alzheimer's is becoming a more common cause of death. Although deaths from other major causes have decreased significantly in the last decade, deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased significantly — 71 percent. 1 Of the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's, an estimated 5.2 million people are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer's).  One in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease. It gets worse over time, and people with Alzheimer disease have gradual memory loss, as well as loss of judgment, trouble concentrating, loss of language skills, personality changes, and a decline in the ability to learn new tasks. All of the above processes have a devastating impact on the brain, and over time, it shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all of its functions. The rate of progression of the disease varies greatly. People with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years, but some people may survive up to 20 years. The course of the disease depends in part on age at diagnosis and whether a person has other health conditions. The medical community uses stages to apply a timeframe to the progression of the disease. In 2013, over 84,000 Americans died from Alzheimer's according to official death certificates; however, in 2016, an estimated 700,000 people with Alzheimer's will die, and the disease likely will contribute to many of those deaths. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, from 5.2 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease. In advanced stages, people with Alzheimer disease may lose all memory and mental abilities. Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. About 5 million Americans have Alzheimer disease, and this number is expected to grow as the population gets older. The disease progress is different for each person. If Alzheimer disease comes on quickly, it usually gets worse quickly.
Yes, it affect the older population.