Alzheimer's disease & related dementia

Alzheimer Society Canada

The Alzheimer Society is the leading not-for-profit health organization working nationwide to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and advance the search for the cause and cure. We are located in every province across Canada and in over...

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, which causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired. It is the most common form of dementia. (Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood, behaviour and communication abilities. Related diseases include: Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Lewy body Dementia.)

The earliest symptoms of AD include forgetfulness; disorientation to time or place; and difficulty with concentration, calculation, language, and judgment. As the disease progresses, some patients have severe behavioral disturbances and may even become psychotic. In the final stages, the affected individual is incapable of self-care and becomes bed-bound. At present, once ability is lost, it is not known to return. However, research is now suggesting that some relearning may be possible.

Currently approved treatments do not modify the course of the disease and offer only temporary mitigation of some symptoms of AD, such as agitation, anxiety, unpredictable behavior, sleep disturbances, and depression.

Within the past three to five years, greater appreciation has developed for the surprisingly important roles that diet and lifestyle play in determining risk for AD. Cognitive activity, physical activity, and heart-healthy diets lower the risk for AD, while obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes raise the risk. Some evidence indicates that successful management of these cardiovascular risks can delay the onset or slow the progression of dementia.