Treating Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Alzheimer' destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. Genetic factors are suspected, and dominant mutations in three different genes have been identified that account for a much smaller number of cases of familial, early-onset AD.

People with dementia often have trouble thinking and speaking clearly, remembering recent events, and learning new things. Over time, it becomes hard for them to handle everyday activities and take care of themselves. Age is the most important risk factor for AD; the number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.

Three genes have been discovered that cause early onset (familial) AD. Other genetic mutations that cause excessive accumulation of amyloid protein are associated with age-related (sporadic) AD. AD is part of an immune response that is attempting to contain the disease. The former may be more likely, since research indicates that anti-inflammatory drugs can prevent or retard AD development.

Alzheimer’s disease advances at widely different rates. Family history is another risk factor of Alzheimer's. Several risk factor genes may interact with each other and with non-genetic factors to cause the disease. Cardiovascular Risk Factors The same factors that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure, may also increase the risk for late-onset AD. Most people with mild forgetfulness do not have AD.

In the early stage of AD, people may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things. Oxidative damage refers to cell damage caused by excess free radicals, which are highly reactive chemicals. Free radicals are often formed as a by-product of metabolism, or chemical processes within the cell. Excess free radicals may cause substantial neuronal damage, contributing to AD development. Type 2 Diabetes. A link between AD and type 2 diabetes, the form of diabetes in which insulin levels are high. One theory is that too much insulin in the blood promotes inflammation and oxidative damage in the brain, both of which contribute to AD development.

Symptoms of AD include memory loss, language deterioration, impaired ability to mentally manipulate visual information, poor judgment, confusion, restlessness, and mood swings. Alzheimer's disease may also include behavioral changes, such as outbursts of violence or excessive passivity in people who have no previous history of such behavior. In the later stages, deterioration of musculature and mobility, leading to bedfastness, inability to feed oneself, and incontinence, will be seen if death from some external cause (e.g. heart attack or pneumonia) does not intervene.

Moderate -As the disease progresses to the middle stage, the patient might still be able to perform tasks independently, but may need assistance with more complicated activities. Severe — As the disease progresses from the middle to late stage, the patient will undoubtedly not be able to perform even the simplest of tasks on their own and will need constant supervision. They may even lose the ability to walk or eat without assistance. They might forget to eat and starve.

Treatment Alzheimer's Disease Tips

1. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibitors reduce the rate at which acetylcholine (ACh) is broken down and hence increase the concentration of ACh in the brain (combatting the loss of ACh caused by the death of the cholinergin neurons).

2. Ginkgo for the treatment of "cognitive impairment and dementia," a Cochrane Review concludes that "there is promising evidence of improvement in cognition and function associated with Ginkgo According to this review the two randomized controlled studies that focused on Alzheimer's patients both showed significant improvement in these areas.

3. Tramiprosate (3APS or Alzhemed) is a GAG-mimetic molecule that is believed to act by binding to soluble amyloid beta to prevent the accumulation of the toxic plaques.

4. R-flurbiprofen (MPC-7869) is a gamma secretase modulator sometimes called a selective amyloid beta 42 lowering agent. It is believed to reduce the production of the toxic amyloid beta in favor of shorter forms of the peptide.

5. Leuprolide has also been studied for Alzheimer’s. It is hypothesized to work by reducing leutenizing hormone levels which may be causing damage in the brain as one ages.

6. Antihistamine drug Dimebon has also recently been found to show beneficial effects against Alzheimer's disease in preliminary trials

7. Vaccines or immunotherapy for Alzheimer's, unlike typical vaccines, would be used to treat diagnosed patients rather than for disease prevention.

8. Proposed alternative treatments for Alzheimer's include a range of herbal compounds and dietary supplements.

9. Cognitive and behavioral interventions and rehabilitation strategies may be used as an adjunct to pharmacologic treatment, especially in the early to moderately advanced stages of disease.

10. DNA-based therapy is also Treating Alzheimer's Disease.

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/

Alzheimer's - Keeping Your Business On Track While Supporting Your Parent

Do you or any of your friends have a parent with Alzheimer's? What I'm sharing in this article would have been helpful for me to read prior to experiencing the drastic shift in my mother's lifestyle last year. I never expected to have such an emotional roller coaster. It took some innovative strategies to keep my business on track.

Mom lives in a life care facility that has various levels of care. She was living in a garden home, completely independent other than interior and exterior maintenance and one meal a day at the communal dining room.

Keeping a schedule becomes impossible.

One of the first things I noticed was her confusion about what she had planned. I had a couple of her friends comment that she was not showing up at arranged times they had planned for dinner. Mom has kept a calendar for years where she writes anything that is planned and notes about what has happened. She's always been on time for any appointment, even early. For her to miss appointments was not a good sign.

When I was going to pick her up for one of her medical appointments, she would get confused as to what day we would be going and leave me numerous messages asking why I hadn't arrived. This would also occur on the actual day of the appointment. She would be confused as to what time of day it was so would call me wondering when I would be there.

Anxiety builds with the confusion.

I tried to solve this problem by calling with just enough time for her to get ready for an appointment. We didn't talk about what day the appointment would be. This would make her anxious also because she wanted to know in advance when she would be going somewhere.

For a long time she knew she was confused and was upset by that. She liked to be in control of what she was doing. This definitely felt like lack of control and loss of her independence. By her own decision, she had already given up driving. We never found out why, but suspect she had a close call that scared her and didn't want to be in an accident.

Self-care deteriorates.

When I started seeing a sink full of dirty dishes and clothing stacking up on her clothes rack, I could see that her habits had certainly changed. She has always kept an immaculate kitchen and took good care of her clothing.

She stopped going to the dining room and chose to eat snacks at home instead. Her choices for meals were not nutritious. When we shopped, she wanted to buy various carbohydrates. Generally she would have had nutritious meals at the dining room. We didn't realize for a while that she was not going because she said she was going. When I checked with the dining room, I found out she hadn't been there for weeks. The only time she had gone was when I was there for a visit.

No longer could we rely on her taking her prescribed medicines. In discussion with her physician, she decided to start her on Aricept, an Alzheimer's med. We knew with this additional med to take that she would definitely need to have someone see that she took her appropriate medications regularly. The service of having someone deliver meds was available where she lived and it helped her to stay on her own for a longer time. Mom resented the interruption to her sleep when the person arrived. I felt reassured that someone was also checking in on her on a regular basis.

As time went on, Mom would not even be dressed when I arrived for a visit. I would need to help her shower and pick out her clothing. And sometimes it was even a struggle to convince her that she needed a shower. In the past, Mom was always fresh out of the shower, dressed to a T, and waiting for me when I would arrive for a visit or to take her to an appointment.

Those months of watching Mom's decline and working to give her the care that was appropriate at each stage were extremely stressful. I found it difficult to keep focused on my business and to feel passion in any part of my life. With skillful counseling and coaching, I developed strategies for rekindling my passion and getting the focus back in my business. I knew that I had to take care of myself in order to be there to support all the aspects of my life and business.

After six months of various strategies to support her to stay independent, my siblings, Mom's physician, and I made the decision that Mom really needed to be in the Care Center division of the life care facility. This was a difficult move because Mom was very attached to all the collection of family furniture and endless mementos of her full life.

We have surrounded her with family photos, recognition plaques she was awarded over the years, and hand work done by various members of the family including her mother. It was important to Mom that the family would appreciate the cherished belongings. My sister and brother and I sorted through her home, making sure that nothing was discarded that was part of our family heritage. We worked with all the family to find out what each person would like to have from the home. I took countless photos and posted them on the web so that family from Alaska to Washington, DC could view and choose items that had meaning and memories for them.

Mom is well cared for and still very much appreciates our visits. She is still pretty clear about all of the family, including many great grandchildren. Days and times and location are foggy for her, but with a very structured schedule, she is peaceful knowing what will happen next and that her needs will be met.

I'm able to be there for her with an open heart because of the steps I took to restore my resilient spirit.

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/