Description of the Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which attacks brain cells and neurons. This disease results in loss of memory, lower thinking capacity and poor language skills. Alzheimer disease is majorly caused by brain cell death where neurons producing acetylcholine or neurotransmitters breaks connections with other nerve cell resulting to inflammation in the brain system connection (Munoz & Feldman, 2012) . When nerve cells in the hippocampus are destroyed by Alzheimer’s disease a person experiences the loss of short-term memory, while the destruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex results to decline in person’s Judgment and language skills.
Causes of the Disease
Experts in the field of science speculate a combination of factors leading to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. These factors are environmental factors, risk factors, physical and genetic factors. Generically, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are reported to having a family history of the disease. Individuals who have had a family member with the disease before are at greater risk of disease development. Research done by scientist shows that there are possibly two types of genes influencing Alzheimer’s disease development: deterministic genes and risk genes. Deterministic genes are directly responsible for the disease development while risk genes increase the chances of disease development (Causes and Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease., n.d.) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Researchers have identified physical factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease. They discovered Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease having two types of abnormal lesions clog in their brain: Beta-Amyloid plaques and insoluble twisted fibers. Beta-Amyloid plaques are associated with cellular materials and sticky clumps of proteins fragments that form around neurons. On the other hand, Insoluble twisted fibers are composed of protein tau formed inside the nerve cells (Causes and Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease., n.d.) . Although the abnormal lesions have not yet been proven to be the cause of the disease or release as a by-product, researchers believe that they are hallmarks of the disease. In addition to that, patients with Alzheimer’s disease are reported to having loss of memory as a result of disconnection in the process involving signal transduction. The brain tissue shrinks and brain cells also die as a result of inflammation.
Most of the patients with Alzheimer’s disease are people of age 65 years and above. It is therefore, believed that age is an environmental factor that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s development. Even though it is not proven scientifically, the statisticians have reported half of the people over the age of 80 having Alzheimer’s disease (Causes and Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease., n.d.) . Other risk factors that may lead to the disease development are; smoking, Hypertension, accumulation of cholesterol in the body, poorly controlled diabetes, lack of social engagement, lack of exercise and mild cognitive impairment.
Effects of Alzheimer’s disease on Society
Alzheimer’s disease not only affects the diagnosed individuals but also the family and the society. Family members are forced to change their roles to caregiving. Change of roles in the family can lead to confusion about how to act. Children are left suffering if the victim to the disease is their parent and especially when the patients is a breadwinner to the family. The society is forced to use a lot of money for caregiving, hence community’s economy is lowered as a result of social dependence. Other societal members like children or spouses may feel neglected as the patients become a centre of attention. The society may be forced to take over in the house chores activities. This makes them feel overburden resulting to withdrawal (Impact of the disease, 2014) .
Statistical Incidence in the U.S.A
In approximate, about 5.4 million Americans are thought to be having Alzheimer’s disease. This number represent all groups of people regardless of their differences in terms of age. An estimate of 5.1 million of the victims represents those above 65 years of age while those below 65 years approximately 200,000. U.S.A records almost two-thirds of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease as Women and 1in 4 seniors died as a result of dementia. It is also reported that in every 66 seconds either 1 or two individuals develops the disease in U.S.A (MacGill, 2016) . This statistical report explains why Alzheimer’s disease is in the U.S top ten diseases with no cure. As a result of this disease, it has been always expensive to cater for the needs of the patients. It cost the nation around $226 billion per year to treat Alzheimer’s. Caregivers are given $9.8 additional cost care due to emotional toll and physical caregiving. It is clear that the disease is becoming a common cause of death in amongst the aged population in U.S.A.
Current Drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease
Although there has been no drug treatment for Alzheimer’s diseases, pharmacists have tried to develop medicines that can alleviate the symptoms of the same, albeit temporarily, or slow down its progression. Care and support can as well be of great importance to individuals living with the disease. Currently, NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, are the main drugs approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease (Current Alzheimer's Treatments, n.d.) . The two medicines have both generic names and brand names. Generic names identify the substance, whilst brand names identify the companies responsible for the manufacture of these drugs. Galantamine, rivastigmine and donepezil are generic names for cholinesterase inhibitors while memantine is a generic name for NMDA. Initially, donepezil had a brand name, Aricept, but it is now existing as generic donepezil. Rivastigmine had a brand name Exelon but now available in its generic name. The brand's names for Galantamine are Gatalin XL, Galsya XL, Acumor XL, and Reminyl XL. Memantine is also existing in its generic name and UK brand names (Nemdatine and memantine).
The System that’s affected by the Disease and how Alzheimer’ Drugs works
The most affected system as a result of Alzheimer’s disease is the brain system. The chief cells affected in the system are neurons. In order to understand how medication, taken in the wake of infliction by Alzheimer’s work, it is important to understand the communication network in the brain system. At the synapse of the brain, there is a tiny burst of a chemical called neurotransmitters which carry information from one cell to another. It is at the synapse where neurons can connect and communicate with cells. This process of signal transduction is disrupted upon the infection of Alzheimer’s disease. The neurons are killed, synapses destroyed and finally, the communication network is deterred (Drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease, n.d.) .
The two currently available forms of medication could boost the communication process in two different ways. For one, the NMDA receptor antagonist works by regulating an important neurotransmitter called glutamate. Glutamate plays an important role in learning and memory. NMDA receptor allows the attachment of glutamate to the cell surface termed as “docking sites”. Once there is an attachment of glutamate, calcium is permitted to enter into the cell. Cell signaling from cell to cell is enhanced when this process is not disrupted. The process also plays a significant role in learning and memory. In the case of affliction by Alzheimer’s, damaged cells release excessive glutamate leading to excessive overexposure to the calcium ions and results in more damage (Drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease, n.d.) . Memantine acts by blocking NMDA receptor sites, hence preventing a degeneration into the destructive chain of events. On the contrary, Cholinesterase inhibitor is designed to work by slowing down the process of glutamate breakdown.
References
Causes and Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from Vantage point: http://www.vantagepointnwa.com/disorders/alzheimers/causes-effects
Current Alzheimer's Treatments . (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from alz.org research center: http://www.alz.org/research/science/alzheimers_disease_treatments.asp
Drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease . (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from alzheimers: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20162/drugs/105/drug_treatments_for_alzheimers_disease
Impact of the disease . (2014, 12 2). Retrieved March 9, 2016, from Alzheimer society: http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/Living-with-dementia/Staying-connected/How-relationships-change/Impact-of-the-disease
MacGill, M. (2016, April 29). Alzheimer's Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments. Medical News Today . Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php
Munoz, D. G., & Feldman, H. (2012). Causes of Alzheimer's Disease (Vol. 162). Canadial Medical Association Journal . Retrieved March 9, 2017
