Kore 1050 Natural Health

July 13, 2009

Alzheimer’s Disease: Treatment & Risk Factors

With an aging global population, it is not surprising the focus of attention has been placed squarely on the shoulders of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a disease that gradually causes a deterioration in the memory with diagnosis accuracy between 87 and 94 percent.

Alois Alzheimer a German physician first discovered the disease back in 1906 but it has only really been in the world’s focus for just over 30 years. According to studies, it is advancing age that is the greatest risk to developing Alzheimer’s disease. Part of the problem in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is the patient’s reluctance to admit to anyone or themselves that they are experiencing problems.

At the moment all forms of dementia treatment are pretty much the same and that includes Alzheimer’s disease. Stalling the progression and possibly improving the condition is about the best that can currently be achieved with drugs but no definitive treatment has yet been discovered. They have been shown to help the average Alzheimer’s disease sufferer cognitive abilities by up to six months.

Patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s who are already receiving Donepezil are now given Memantine as an alternative. Fortunately, Memantine has few side effects as 80 percent of the drug is passed in urine unchanged and so far it is the only drug that has proved to be of real benefit to patients with moderate to severe symptoms.

The industrialized world’s elderly population is now living longer and as such Alzheimer’s disease has become a serious problem, it is now the fourth largest killer in America. Although contracting the disease is a tragedy, the cost of treatment and care for sufferers is causing economic vibrations. Last year the National Institute on Aging spent half of its annual budget on research into age related disease, they are now testing over three hundred compounds at any one time. Exhaustive study of holistic cancer cures, alternative therapies and successful case studies.

One of the few factors that you can change to alter your risk of developing dementia is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Studies have also indicated that a number of Alzheimer’s patients have reduced their rate of decline by staying healthy and happy. At the moment, the disease is still primarily effecting the elderly but there have been incidences of people contracting it before the age of 60.

April 8, 2008

All About Alzheimer’s Disease

With an aging global population, it is not surprising the focus of attention has been placed squarely on the shoulders of Alzheimer’s disease. Estimated at affecting 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 Alzheimer’s affects the memory centers of the mind.

It was actually discovered in 1906 by a German physician, Alois Alzheimer. Studies into the disorder have shown you have a grater chance of acquiring Alzheimer’s the older you become. Often, a person experiencing their first signs of Alzheimer’s is unable or unwilling to admit it to themselves or anyone else.

Alzheimer’s disease is currently treated exactly the same as other forms of dementia. Stalling the progression and possibly improving the condition is about the best that can currently be achieved with drugs but no definitive treatment has yet been discovered. They have been approved for use by the FDA and have shown they can improve the cognitive abilities of the patient for up to six months.

This drug slows down the mental deterioration so those already prescribed Donepezil with severe symptoms are now prescribed Memantine. More than 80 percent of the Memantine excreted are unchanged by the kidneys.

Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be a major public health challenge since the average age of the industrialized world’s population is increasing. The economic cost of treating and providing care for those with this type of aging disease is currently over 40 billion dollars a year. Last year alone, the National Institute on Aging spent nearly one-half of its budget on research related to this insidious disease. Acai berry are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants

To help you reduce the chance of contracting dementia, it’s important to adopt a healthy lifestyle, choose carefully what you eat and drink and take more exercise. Some researchers into the disease have found that patients who are happy and healthy with Alzheimer’s, slow down the rate of their mental decline. Fortunately this disease is still mainly affecting elderly people but there have been recent occasions where younger persons have developed this disease.

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