Alzheimer's disease. Overview.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that damages nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain involved in memory, learning, language, and reasoning. As the disease progresses, communication among the neurons breaks down. In early stages, short-term memory begins to fail. Over time, functions such as long-term memory, language, and judgment decline. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older adults. Dementia is a loss of mental functions--such as thinking, memory, and reasoning--that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning.
There are two basic types of Alzheimer's disease: Early-onset Alzheimer's disease tends to strike people under age 65 and is more likely to run in families. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the much more common type, generally afflicts people after age 65. The exact cause of Alzheimer's is unknown, although researchers studying this puzzling disease are making progress.
Currently, about 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and about 22,000 people die from Alzheimer's disease every year. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that one in 10 people over age 65 and nearly half of people over 85 have Alzheimer's disease. The number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease is expected to increase to 14 million by 2050, unless a cure or preventive measure can be found.

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