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Alzheimer’s disease is characterized as a type of irreversible dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior which can affect the ability to perform simple tasks. (Alzheimer’s Association). Unfortunately, Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and over five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s (National Institute of Aging). Each of the three categories of Alzheimer’s has unique symptoms. In mild Alzheimer’s disease, where Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed, the person presents with memory loss and other problems such as behavior changes and taking longer to complete activities of daily living. In moderate Alzheimer’s, the person begins to have damage to parts of the brain that …show more content…
Symptoms include hallucinations, confusion, and having trouble recognizing loved ones (Tinker). The last category, severe Alzheimer’s disease, is when the person is dependent on others and they may be in bed most of the time. Symptoms of this type of Alzheimer’s include weight loss, seizures, inability to control the bowel and bladder, and groaning (National Institute on Aging). Despite the fact that there are many signs and symptoms that allow physicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, it is still unclear as to what causes this degeneration of the brain. Although many scientists are not able to say for a fact what causes the mental degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, theories include age-related changes in the brain, and most importantly, genetics and lifestyle factors. One theory that scientists are looking into for the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is age related changes occurring in the brain over time. Scientists deem one major age related change is inflammation. Studies have been performed which show cells and compounds that are linked to both the inflammation and the plaque found in Alzheimer’s disease (National Institute on Aging). Due to this, …show more content…
There are a lot studies being done that are finding more connections between genetics and Alzheimer’s. Recently, scientists were able to find a new gene mutation that could possibly play a major role in those who develop Alzheimer’s. Additionally, scientists have been able to find the most information on genetics and why it makes the most sense. They are researching the genetics and they continue to find more and more information that makes genetics the most plausible cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Those with Alzheimer’s are able to get scanned and see if there are beta amyloid proteins clumping together. The reason that the proteins to clump together is the most correlated to gene mutations. Along with genetics, lifestyle factors are another highly likely cause of Alzheimer’s. The results of many studies show that those with certain lifestyles have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Although the genetics cannot be changed, lifestyles changes can be made to reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer’s (Walton). Age related changes do not provide sufficient evidence for the cause of Alzheimer’s because everyone undergoes these changes, not just those with Alzheimer’s. This theory would have to show a higher percent of the elders developing Alzheimer’s and why it is directly linked to the changes that occur in the brain rather than other factors. Given these

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